Guilford town meeting warrant will include fireworks and micro-loan articles

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    GUILFORD — The Guilford Board of Selectmen agreed at last week’s meeting to place two articles related to fireworks on the annual town meeting warrant along with a measure to start a micro-loan program in the community.
    Although selectmen and Town Manager Tom Goulette said they were not too enthusiastic about the loan proposal, they agreed that the townspeople should have a chance to vote on it.

    Goulette explained that the proposal was first brought up by the planning board last year. “They wanted to start with $5,000, eventually build it up to $30,000, and you’d be eligible to borrow from the fund if your taxes were current,” Goulette said.
    One scenario would be a business that suffered a loss through a natural disaster like a fire or flood and needed cash to replenish their inventory. The amount of the loan would be no greater than the businesses’ tax commitment up to a maximum of $3,000.
    But Selectman Peter Martell commented that while he was in favor of supporting small business, he is not sure this would be the way to do so. Bill Thompson, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, warned about competing with banking institutions that also are taxpayers in town.
    Goulette said that since the business would have to be current on their taxes to get a loan, some might just decide not to pay and use the money for other purposes. “Technically, you have 28 months to pay your taxes before the town takes action toward foreclosure,” Goulette said. “So if you don’t pay, you’re getting a loan for 7 percent interest (the town’s penalty for past-due accounts).”
    The planning board presented two articles regarding the use of consumer fireworks to be presented at the town meeting for an up or down vote. The first article bans all use of fireworks except for July 4th and New Year’s Eve. The second option would restrict their use to Friday and Saturday evenings before 9 p.m., except for the two July 4th and New Year’s Eve when the time would be extended until 12:30 a.m. the next morning.
    In other business discussed at the Feb. 4 selectmen’s meeting, Goulette announced that Guilford’s share of the Piscataquis County budget will be $172,320.00, an increase of 2.71 percent.
    The board was informed that the one-ton public works truck was out of service with a broken frame and that the crew would be one man short for five months.
     The Guilford Memorial Library selection committee has begun interviews and will make a recommendation for the position of library director next week.