STANDISH – Standish voters will have a chance to weigh in on three referendum questions on Tuesday, Sept. 9, which would, if approved, cumulatively total about $1.2 million in bond principal and interest through a 10-year period.

The proposed expenditures were included in the $1.3 million “bundled” bond package that failed at the June town meeting. In response to varied criticism, town officials have broken down the proposed bonds into departmental categories and discarded a controversial sidewalk project on Route 25 in Standish Corner.

“When we debriefed the failed referendum with the public, the consensus was that they were angry about the bundling. They wanted the opportunity to vote on individual items,” said Town Manager Gordon Billington. “There was a lot of opposition to the sidewalks.”

According to Billington, since $100,000 toward a first bond payment was approved in the fiscal 2015 budget, the Sept. 9 vote will have no impact on the tax rate this year. If the questions fail, Billington said, the $100,000 would be transferred to the town’s surplus account.

Question 1 contains a proposal to purchase 6.5 acres land for multipurpose recreational fields and parking improvements at Standish Memorial Park on Route 25. The proposed purchase, which would cost $78,398 in estimated principal and interest payments and an additional $31,751 in town reserve funds, would enable the town to add new fields at the park, which holds two softball and three soccer fields.

“It’s an opportunity that we hate to miss out on for additional space that would afford us better parking, safer access, and additional playing fields for baseball and softball players in the town, among other things,” said Parks and Recreation Director Linda Brooks. “It’s a great opportunity.”

The proposed spending would allow the town to offer an additional two to three baseball fields in the future, enhanced soccer facilities, a concession stand, additional playgrounds and a dog park.

It would also allow for additional parking. The existing lot holds about 30 vehicles. Due to the limited parking space, Billington said, many families park along Route 25 in front of the park, which is in a 50 mph zone on Route 25.

“If you ever go up there on a Saturday morning and watch kids climb out of their cars all excited to go to soccer on a busy road with vehicles traveling close by at 50 mph, we think that’s unsafe,” Billington said. “We want to get that parking off Route 25 to properly safeguard the people who are going to our athletic events.”

Question 2 proposes an estimated $171,121 in estimated principal and interest toward public safety equipment purchases, including a radio system upgrade, as well as the replacement of dry hydrants, extrication equipment and cardiac equipment.

“Commonly, people might see that we’re replacing a fire truck or an ambulance,” said Brent Libby, director of public safety. “This year we’re working on a couple of different areas. They’re still expensive pieces of equipment, but each one is still a small dollar figure compared to, say, a fire truck, for example.”

The referendum would approve the purchase of a new air bag system to help disentangle or remove people caught under heavy equipment, for example. Depending on the size, the air bags can lift between 1.5 and 89.2 tons.

The cardiac equipment purchase would replace cardiac monitors on the town’s two ambulances. The monitors, used on most patients transported by ambulance to a hospital, defibrillate patients suffering from cardiac arrest, among other functions. According to Libby, the town’s existing cardiac monitors have failed three times within the past year.

If approved, Question 3 would pay for the replacement of a 20-year-old, light-duty gravel compactor and a 15-year-old, 10-wheel plow truck, as well as a variety of road improvements.

The estimated principal and interest for the projects would total $960,237. According to Roger Mosley, director of public works, the department has not been able to adequately maintain the town’s 90-mile road network due to “tight funding” since 2008.

“We’re not keeping up with the deterioration rate,” Mosley said. “Because of the economic downturn – and we still haven’t caught up from that – we put off a year there where we still didn’t do any.”

The question would approve resurfacing eight roads that were last resurfaced between 1992 and 2002. It would also fund improvements to the town hall parking lot.

“I think it’s crucial to keep the infrastructure improvements going forward,” Mosley said, referring to the road resurfacing. “All the ones that are on there are in critical condition.”

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A CLOSER LOOK

Polls will be open at the Standish Town Offices on Route 35 from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9.

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