By Amy Augustine
Concord Monitor
DUNBARTON, N.H. — The Dunbarton Fire Department will get a new ambulance whether it receives federal grants to help fund it or not, voters decided at town meeting last night.
Nearly 150 people turned out to Dunbarton Elementary School for the two-hour meeting, which, for the most part, was fairly tame. Voters approved all items on the warrant with little debate, including a flat $1.9 million budget presented by selectmen.
Two articles relative to the ambulance garnered the most chatter, with those against the measures arguing the need for fiscal restraint and those in favor pushing it as a necessity.
One article would not affect the tax rate, contingent on the department receiving $100,000 in federal grants, with an additional $80,000 coming from an existing revenue fund, for the ambulance and equipment. If the grant doesn’t come through, the second option will raise $50,000 from taxes for a basic model vehicle and refurbished defibrillator, and use $100,000 from the special revenue fund. Both articles passed last night.
Dunbarton fire Chief Jonathan Wiggin said there is no predicting when — and possibly if — the competitive grant could come through. He told residents the department’s current ambulance was outdated, and he warned that voting against either article would prevent the town from getting the best option at a competitive price.
“We’ll never get this deal again for these prices,” Higgins said. “If we have to wait another year, or later into this year, we won’t be able to buy as good of an ambulance as we could have.”
Resident JR Hoell questioned whether a new ambulance was necessary in a small town with so few ambulance runs and suggested the town put the purchase off for another year.
“I think we can find a way to trim this down,” he said, before making an amendment to reduce the town’s portion toward the ambulance to $25,000. He later withdrew the request after several audience members questioned its language.
A petitioned warrant article by resident Jason Syversen at the tailof the meeting asked voters to consider by secret ballot a hotly debated measure that asks state leaders to let residents decide what defines marriage.
The article passed, 77-58, despite a handful of people who spoke out against it.
Resident Margaret Venator said she would vote against the article to avoid casting judgment on her neighbors.
“This is something that in a changing culture doesn’t make any sense to be rigid about,” Venator said.
Phil Kimball also urged residents to reject the petition, which he likened to scripture that was once used to deny slaves and women the right to vote.
“I think it would be a terrible step backward to deny people who are gay and lesbian the same rights as others,” he said.
Keeping with its nearly 300-year-old tradition enacted by King George I, the town also elected six newlyweds to serve as hog reeves - essentially the job of catching unruly pigs that wander from their pens. The idea, said Moderator Fred Mullen, is that newlyweds don’t get much sleep anyhow.
Though none of the newly elected hog reeves were in attendance last night, “they can’t get away because as soon as they see the town clerk they’re going to be sworn in,” Mullen said, adding that those who fail to do the job would be fined 20 shillings - the equivalent of about $4 in today’s currency.
Voters also passed an article to spend just over $40,000 for a revaluation of the town; $50,000 in legal fees to defend the town in a civil lawsuit brought by New England Power Co. and the New England Hydro Transmission Corporation; $7,500 for an energy audit of three town buildings; and $38 for the town’s forest committee.
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