minutes to a meeting : Voters approve spending for street improvements

About 100 residents at the town meeting Saturday approved an estimated $3.1 million municipal budget and agreed to spend $450,000 for improvements to High Street.

The budget represents an increase of roughly $230,000 from last year's budget.

The work on High Street will begin at the railroad tracks and extend to the veterans' home, and will include adding a 5-foot-wide sidewalk.

The project is being funded by a $300,000 grant from the Maine Department of Transportation.

Residents defeated the article last year, said Selectman Ray Glover, adding that the sidewalk will be built alongside South Paris Elementary School.

What made the difference this year, he said, was that supporters were more vocal.

Voters decided to waive foreclosure on three properties, including A.C. Lawrence Leather Co. Inc.

They voted to raise $187,854 for the Fire Department and $466,661 for the Police Department. They also designated the athletic fields, parks, and playgrounds as "drug-safe" zones.

In a significant change, residents rejected the Budget Committee's recommendation for $2,500 for the growth council and approved the council's request for $12,000.

Residents also voted to spend up to $300,000 to buy a new firetruck to replace a 1974 truck. Glover said the truck bid was $279,000.

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