By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

HARRISON — With the fiscal year just three days from coming to a close, Tim Pellerin had plenty of reasons to smile.

His municipal budget was “dead on,” as the books will close with the town hitting most of its expenditure targets and revenue exceeded expectations — up 11% or $320,011. The town saw the excise tax line rise $62,000, while there was an unexpected boost in state revenue sharing.

“Every little bit helps. We had a really good revenue year. We’re sitting in excellent shape heading into the next fiscal year,” Pellerin said. “We’re in a good place.”

Taxes collected to date total $5,783,690.12 — just $194,101.40 from reaching the 100% target. Foreclosures dropped from eight cases to three, with one “in the works” to be paid up, while another involves a small piece of land, Pellerin reported to Harrison selectmen last Thursday night.

Solid town office management and physical improvements across the town did not go unnoticed as residents sent in complimentary notes (one person quipped that the transfer station was the “cleanest” operation he had seen, while another person snapped photos of the downtown area to share with friends, remarking the pristine look of the village), which were seconded by selectmen who praised the efforts of Pellerin and his staff.

Pellerin was quick to credit town employees for their hard work, commitment and dedication to serving the people of Harrison.

“We did a lot of repairs and projects in a short period of time, and the credit goes to our staff,” Pellerin said. “Everyone pinched pennies when we needed to and prioritized when we needed to. We run a good ship, and I can’t do it without the staff.”

Board Chairman Matt Frank responded, “You deserve credit too. I’ve seen a lot of improvements around town.”

Later in the meeting, Selectman Rick Sykes asked the chairman to send a “thank you” on behalf of the board to Pellerin and the town staff for “the great work they have done and are doing.”

One final budget adjustment was to cover a couple of overdrafts caused by some new hires and unexpected insurance costs. Selectmen approved $20,000 to cover the overdrafts.

The jovial tone changed to a more serious mood when Pellerin updated the board regarding a workplace accident, which resulted in a $700 fine by the Bureau of Labor Standards. A Highway Department employee suffered a serious foot injury while working on a backhoe. The injury caused the worker to miss eight weeks, but he has since returned to the job. A consultant was hired to provide outlines for each department to follow to insure standards are met to keep employees safe.

“I assure the board that won’t occur again. All issues have been addressed,” Pellerin said. “Workplace safety is our top priority.”

There will be additional training in the spring and a courtesy inspection. The program cost $5,000, but as Pellerin said, the town could have been hit with a higher fine and dollars spent on worker safety is money well-spent.

“I would rather be proactive than reactive,” Pellerin added.

Frank agreed. “It’s good to hire a professional. There is nothing more important than the safety of our people.”

Safety was the theme of the next two discussions.

First, a young girl escaped a dangerous situation when her foot became caught in the H-dock at Crystal Lake beach. The girl, who suffered scrapes to her leg, fell into the water and was rescued by her father, who saw the incident from the shoreline.

“Her dad pulled her out,” said Pellerin, who noted that the water level was over the child’s head. The girl was shaken up, but did not require medical attention. As expected, the father was very upset about the situation, Pellerin added.

The dock system is 20 years old, and Pellerin is very concerned about its safety since three injuries (one person suffered a cut on a nail) occurred over the past two weeks. The town manager immediately started researching various dock systems, including one purchased from EZ Dock while he was working in Rangeley.

Some dock systems use bolts to connect units, but the EZ Dock is made of plastic and utilizes rubber connections. It has a 10-year warranty. The way the dock is constructed, the decking does not overheat. It is lightweight, very stable, includes ladders and handles along the side to be used as part of swim lessons. It is easy to install and remove after the season. Company personnel will install the dock system and show town workers the process.

Pellerin’s goal was to replace the existing dock by the Fourth of July.

“There are 200 plus kids that use it (the dock) per day,” the manager said. “We need to do something. Kids should be able to run and play safely.”

Because he had worked with EZ Dock before, Pellerin was offered a second discount, dropping the price to $18,200. Selectmen voted 4–0 to purchase the dock system.

Safety issue Number two is slowing traffic down. While the new county deputy assigned to Harrison has made his presence felt with radar details, selectmen hoped to step up the effort by placing speed reminder signs at strategic points. While nearby towns like Bridgton and Naples have used a “trailer” style speed sign, which is moved to designated locations, Pellerin found a speed sign that is mounted on a post, powered by solar panels, and provides various data regarding traffic volume and patterns. The town can purchase three signs for $8,650. Pellerin liked the idea of having three signs compared to purchasing just one “trailer” style unit. The signs would be taken down in the fall since “weather raises havoc” with them.

Initially, selectmen thought positioning the signs on Route 117, as well as at the “hill” on Route 35 entering the village, were prime spots to slow down traffic. But, Selectman Ray Laplante questioned the signs effectiveness over time. Selectman Rick Sykes pointed out that in one Connecticut community, a police officer was positioned a short distance beyond the sign.

Officials wondered if additional poles, equipped with solar panels, could be installed at various locations and the signs be rotated to other spots?

“We could rotate them every 30 days,” Pellerin said.

“Works for me,” Laplante said.

Selectmen approved the purchase of three signs by Evolis for $8,600.

In other meeting notes:

• Selectmen restored an executive assistant position, which was cut nearly three years ago.

“We’re getting busier all the time. I’m overloaded, and the clerk is doing her job and much more,” Pellerin said.

The assistant will help fill in where needed, such as assisting the fire chief with clerical matters. The full-time position will cost an estimated $50,000 (salary and benefits), Pellerin projected.

• The Transfer Station will be open on Friday, July 5. Workers say it is one of the busiest days of the year, coming off the Fourth of July celebrations folks will take part in.

• A business license for Happiness Is — a bed and breakfast on Cape Monday Road — was approved.

• Public works has been ditching Deertrees Road, Dillon Road and Old Whitney Road.

• The Code Enforcement office has been busy inspecting shoreland properties. Since February, 71 inspections were made.

• A vacant three-year seat on the SAD 17 School Board will be filled. Selectmen were scheduled to meet Wednesday morning to vote on a candidate. UPDATE: Last week, selectmen appointed Kathy Laplante to serve a one-year term.

• Feeling the title should be “neutral” and not gender-driven, Penny Bean proposed to drop the “selectman” and board of selectmen titles in favor of selectperson and selectboard. Bean was not in attendance Thursday, so selectmen tabled the matter until the July 18 meeting to allow her the opportunity to speak on the issue.

• An executive session was held to hear a poverty abatement. By a 4–0 vote, selectmen granted the abatement (#2002) for the 2016–2018 tax years.