Town department budgets are being built and the Annual Town Meeting is in sight.
On February 26, the Rochester Board of Selectmen were briefed on the Town’s status heading into spring as Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar brought the board up to speed on late winter progress.
Szyndlar has been working closely with the Finance Committee and met again with department heads last Thursday, February 22, in preparation for a joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee next Monday evening.
Szyndlar said she is eyeing May 20 for the 2018 Annual Town Meeting, pending availability of Rochester Memorial School’s cafetorium that night, as well as the town moderator’s availability.
Szyndlar said the potential deadline for town meeting warrant articles should be March 16.
In other town matters, selectmen will be interviewing a candidate for police chief to replace retiring Police Chief Paul Magee. Rochester Police’s Sergeant Robert Small is the one in-house candidate up for the position. The selectmen decided months ago to begin the chief selection process with in-house candidates before seeking candidates outside the force.
The public is invited to attend the public interview on March 3, but no public input or participation will be allowed.
Also during the meeting, the board approved the dates for two events coming up: the Tour de Crème on May 20 and the Patriot Half Triathlon on June 16.
An abatement request for Comstar was tabled until the next meeting in order for the selectmen to gather further information before approval.
The selectmen, under the advisement of the Conservation Commission, signed off on its Right of First Refusal for the Gayoski property on Alley Road up for sale that is slated for removal from Chapter 61A.
The board also approved an amendment to its Remote Participation Policy adopted on February 12 to make the policy effective February 12 as opposed to July 1 as it originally stated.
Also, Selectman and Town Clerk Naida Parker announced that the ballot for the April 11 Annual Election is official and off for printing at this time. Absentee ballots should be available at the Town Clerk’s Office in two weeks.
The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for March 5 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.
Rochester Board of Selectmen
By Jean Perry