News

When Options Collide
So many buildings, so little money

Pennell: Observations for Taxpayers to consider
By Wade Trudel

The taxpayers may soon be asked to fund, or consider funding, major Capital Improvements, and should begin a process of evaluating the most appropriate method to prioritize them. How much of your tax dollars do you want to spend or not spend?

As we are all aware, it has been deemed necessary by the Town Manager and Council to enlarge the administrative offices. There were several possibilities to achieve this goal. I will list a few that I can recall.
1. Buy the old Post Office and connect it to existing Town office.
2. Make an addition to the existing Town Office, without using the P.O.
3. Acquire land and build a new building.
4. Accept the Pennell property from SAD 15 and use that, if is was given back to Gray.
5. Do nothing and exist with what we have.

There may have been some other ideas floated but I don't recall them.
It seems to be a popular idea to utilize Pennell. This was popular with many citizens including myself, "WITH RESERVATIONS." I will list some, to clarify.

1. Utilize the structure, as is, with minor repairs.

2. Determine what should be done with the 'Historical" part of the building, and more importantly, what are the alternatives taxpayers would have, should they take this course. For instance, do we assume responsibility of restoration, maintenance, and what the real projected cost will be. We already have the [Newbegin] Gym to maintain, and perhaps some real expenditures in the future for taxpayers to fund. We would also have the "lab" to contend with, and most discussions regarding this seem to lead to the conclusion that it would be expensive to repair.

3. MOST IMPORTANT, is what the town plans to do with the existing excess property which we will have if any proposal is approved by the citizens.. Some of the real "MONEY" to be taken from the taxpayers n the future will be to continue maintaining obsolete and deteriorated properties in repair.

I believe that we could face several hundred thousand or more dollars to just keep these properties in repair. Consider Stimson Hall, which is a very old and deteriorating building presently costing the taxpayers a substantial amount and will cost much more in the future. I know that this building has a lot of supporters in Town because of its historical past. I think it is a nice building myself, but it is too small for a large meeting and too large for a small meeting. Maybe the building is not really functional on a cost basis, but the issue must be addressed in a rational, not emotional manner.
The money issue that is attached to it must be addressed, as part of the total property that the town presently owns. Many of life's choices aren't always pleasant, but we have to evaluate entire systems to determine which survive.

4. Last but not least is the potential needs of other departments such as Public Safety, Public Works, and many others, I'm sure.

I was asked to contribute to this article because I was a member of the Town office Committee. I would like to clarify that this is my personal view and does not reflect a position taken by the committee, except that we did recommend taking a good look at the Pennell Complex, when we thought it might become available as excess property from the School District.

I would recommend that you seek information on all potential town wishes, or needs from your elected Town Councilors. Keep in mind that every property the Town owns is a double cost to you as taxpayer. One is the maintenance cost and the other is lost revenue, because no property taxes are being paid.

I hope that this will at least get you thinking about these issues, and to ask questions and determine what you want to fund. I hope you can get answers that will enlighten you and clarify how each councilor feels on these issues, in specific terms.

Trudel was a member of the Gray Town Office Committee and is a local businessman.