Hot topic: For the second year in a row, Webster is asking voters to fund the replacement of Clothespin Bridge. After $75,000 was appropriated for pre-work and engineering in 2016, this year’s warrant proposes $575,000 total for replacing the bridge, with $398,000 to come from the bridge and culverts improvement capital reserve fund and the rest to be raised through taxation. As a red-listed bridge, Clothespin Bridge is eligible for funding help from the state, but given a state infrastructure project backlog, town officials have expressed concerns about how long it would be before that money came through.
Budget: The proposed operating budget is $1.40 million, up from $1.38 million from last year.
Noteworthy articles: Voters will be asked to appropriate $115,260 in bonds or notes to install a municipal solar array. The town expects to receive a state Public Utilities Commission rebate of $29,640 and see a net savings in electricity costs.
When and where: The town meeting will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Webster Town Hall.