10 Things Coming up Tonight at Special Town Meeting

The Milford special town meeting begins at 7:30 p.m Monday. This is the meeting when projects that cost money come before Milford voters. The special town meeting warrant has 38 articles. What follows is a summary of 10 important ones, with some explanation based on Finance Committee minutes.

1. The annual Fourth of July fireworks show is provided by Milford taxpayers. This year, taxpayers will be asked to pay $18,000 for the July 3, 2013 event.

2. The Milford Fire Department is requesting $450,000 for a new engine truck, to replace Engine 5, which went into service in 1987. The truck didn't pass inspection because of body corrosion and does not meet current NFPA safety standards.

3. Milford Town Hall may get a new set of windows. The replacement is proposed for town meeting approval, at an estimated cost of $480,000. This would cover 85 windows.

4. The Milford police station is on the warrant for a replacement roof. The cost is estimated at $385,000. The existing roof is leaking, and town officials are concerned about electrical damage and mold.

5. Restoration of Milford Pond is the largest single request. The article asks town voters to approve $1.8 million for dredging a portion of the pond to re-establish deep water habitat for fish, and provide for recreational benefits, including fishing, ice-skating and boating.

6. The Milford Upper Charles Trail, for the first time, could get some dedicated funds for maintenance. The warrant includes an article seeking $20,000 for the next year.

7. Plains Park could get some attention, too. The town voters will be asked to appropriate $125,000 to help correct settling issues and provide funds for repair or replacement of monitoring stations at the former landfill.

8. The final article on the warrant is to set the tax rate for 2013. Selectmen have proposed shifting $1 million from free cash to this, for the purpose of reducing the tax rate.

9. The Milford Town Library has a request for new furnishings, including chairs, book carrels, shelving and new matting, at a cost of $40,000. The furniture and fixtures are 30 years old.

10. Unions for the Milford firefighters and police have articles on the warrant seeking up to $77,093 and $81,198, respectively, for funding collective bargaining agreements.