Wayland Select Board approves first major fire fee update since 2007

WAYLAND -- February 25, 2019, Wayland Select Board updates fire fees, splits field ballot questions, advances River's Edge deal. The board voted 5-0 Monday to adopt the first comprehensive fire department fee update since 2007, effective April 1, along with revised ambulance rates benchmarked slightly above peer towns. Members reached consensus to drop a proposed $1.5 million debt-exclusion question after UniBank advised the bundled capital list was unsuitable for long-term bonding, and to place the high school athletic complex and Loker turf field before voters as two separate questions, "I wouldn't like to have a chance that it would pull down both," member Doug said. Town Administrator Louise Miller said the recommended $2.1 million cash capital plan would require cutting roughly $250,000 from the School Department request. The board also voted 4-0 to authorize Miller to sign the seventh amendment to the River's Edge land disposition agreement, raising the purchase price by about $705,000 for water main work and setting an outside June 15 deadline for Board of Health wastewater waivers. Miller separately disclosed the Transfer Station revolving fund is running a deficit and will need a $100,000 reserve fund transfer.