Montville to hold referendum on $10M road repairs project
Montville — The town on Election Day will seek voters' support to spend up to $10 million over the next few years to perform what officials say are much-needed repairs on at least a third of the town's roads.
"Some need more work than others," Town Council Chairman Tom McNally said Tuesday. "Some are a simple mill and pave, others are total reconstructions. We have to dig them up, put in a whole new base and do drainage work."
McNally and Town Council Deputy Chairman Wills Pike said Public Works Director Donald Bourdeau already is working on a list of dilapidated roads but likely will conduct more road surveys and engineering work in advance of repairs if the public approves the project.
The town plans to finance the project over the next few years with up to $10 million in 10-year bonds. McNally and Finance Director Theresa Hart said the town likely would borrow between $2 million to $4 million each of the next few years to cover road repairs scheduled by Bourdeau.
The town must hold a referendum if it intends to spend "anything over 5 percent of the general tax levy," Hart said on Tuesday. The town's general tax levy is about $39.8 million for the 2018-19 fiscal year.
Ballots on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, will include a question asking whether the town should appropriate up to $10 million "for road improvements and payments and authorize" bond funds to finance the project.
McNally noted the town typically spends about $900,000 on road maintenance every year. The town cut that amount in half this year and intends to do likewise moving forward, freeing up money that could help cover annual bond payments down the road, McNally said.
The town will seek bids from contractors for some of the work, and perform some repairs and drainage work in-house, McNally added.
The town will send homeowners informational mailers on the project later this summer.
McNally said while a complete list of roads set for repairs over the entire project likely won't be finalized before construction begins next year, the town would provide notice of work schedules each season "so people have a heads-up what roads are slated for renovation."
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