New projects will make up the bulk of Warner’s warrant articles, which will be discussed at a public hearing Wednesday.
Article 4 will ask voters to fund another solar array similar to the one in Warner’s Village Water District, at a cost of $338,530, according to town documents. The majority of the project – about $263,595 – will be financed through a 12-year loan from the N.H. Community Development Finance Authority or another lending institution, if approved. The town hopes about $64,935 of the project will come as a rebate from the Public Utilities Commission, and $10,000 will need to be raised through taxes for the first year of the loan payment.
Town Administrator Jim Bingham has said the array will be “cash-positive,” meaning the revenue generated through the array will be greater than the annual loan payment starting in the first full year of power generation.
This is the second time an array for the town has come before voters; a similar measure did not get the needed two-thirds vote last year because voters were concerned about the cost of the project if the PUC rebate did not come through. It is the only warrant that requires a two-thirds majority vote, according to town documents.
Article 9 deals with the furthering of the new fire station project. Voters approved Phase I of the project last year, which dealt with aspects such as assessing and purchasing the land. This year, Phase II will be to develop final design plans and a detailed breakdown of how much construction will cost. Voters will be asked to approve $182,000 to be added to the New Fire Station Construction Capital Reserve Fund. The majority of the warrant, $100,000, will be raised through taxes, if approved, and the remainder would be assigned from the general fund balance.
Other notable articles include various appropriations into capital reserve funds. The biggest, $100,000, would go into an account for highway vehicles and equipment; the next largest, $90,000, would go toward replacing aging fire engines.
There’s little that’s new in the proposed operating budget, Bingham said: The $3 million budget is $53,000 more than last year’s budget, an increase of 1.7 percent.
The public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at Town Hall, located at 5 E. Main St. A public hearing on the solar array will be held on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m., and an informational meeting on the new fire station will be held Feb. 15 at 7 p.m.
(Caitlin Andrews can reached at 369-3309, candrews@cmonitor.com or on Twitter at @ActualCAndrews.)