By Jordan Stewart
At their June 3 meeting, the Selectmen interviewed three candidates to begin forming an Ad Hoc Hartwell Road Committee. Each was appointed to the committee. Elizabeth Kennedy, Jennifer Boles, and Meeta Mathur, all of whom live near the area, say they are excited to facilitate work on the property. (For the charter of the committee see: https://www.bedfordma.gov/ad-hoc-hartwell-road-committee.)
The committee will examine the property and determine how the town can become the primary negotiator in its sale. The property is located on the north side of Hartwell Road, and the town’s desire to get a jump on purchasing the land was sparked largely by the recent sale of the property to the south to a private investor. Previously belonging to the Navy, the property has been abandoned for over 20 years, and the town is seeking to enter talks to purchase it.
Town Treasurer Victor Garofalo presented recommendations for FY19 reserve fund transfers and annual State House Note. The Selectmen approved all proposed reserve fund transfers, which must first be approved by the Finance Committee. The State House Note is a standard procedure performed by the town annually. Short term bonds are sold to the state to avoid deficit balances for the year. This year, the amount in bonds comes out to $572,963.
Finally, Town Manager Sarah Stanton presented the town’s plans for replacing vehicles and equipment in need of updates. The majority of the vehicles being replaced are small machines such as lawn mowers. Several of the Selectmen questioned why the replacements did not run on electricity, as would fit with the town’s green policy. Stanton explained that the electric counterparts of the vehicles would cost three times their allotted budget. The technology for smaller machines such as lawn mowers has made less progress than that for larger vehicles and so has not reached an affordable price yet. However, Stanton expressed optimism that such technology could be used by the town in the future.
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