WILTON – Residents unanimously supported rejoining the state’s retirement system after a 23 year hiatus.
Few people turned out for the special town meeting held Tuesday night, which featured a four-article warrant. In addition to voting to rejoin the Maine Public Employees Retirement System, residents approved letting selectmen sell two pieces of property after some discussion.
Wilton left the retirement system in 1985, at another town meeting. Recently, during negotiations, the Wilton Police Department’s labor union requested that the town rejoin the system, which lets employees set aside a percent of their wages. Additional municipal fees would be payed through funds set aside within the system, which have accrued since 1985.
The benefits would only be available for full-time employees, defined as people working for 32 hours a week or more in town, and only for those with more than 20 years of working within the town.
There is expected to be no cost to the town in the foreseeable future, due to funds already invested in the system from 1985.
While residents gave their approval for the selectmen to sell a 4-acre lot on the Hanslip Road and the “Cochran Lot” on Munson Road, there was some debate. Some residents spoke out against the sale, saying that the land could be put to better purposes. Specifically, that the Hanslip Road property could be used for conservation purposes and the Cochran Lot could serve the town in a transportation capacity, such as a Park n’ Ride.
In other business, selectmen unanimously welcomed their new interim town manager, Barbara Vining, who will fill in for departing Town Manager Peter Nielsen until a replacement can be found.
Selectmen spent an hour prior to their meeting screening applications for the position.
They also heard a report on the developing comprehensive plan from Code Enforcement Officer Paul Montague. He reported that the plan was entering the final stage of development and would be reviewed by the State Planning Office soon.
The comprehensive plan committee began meeting in February 2006, hoping to update the last plan, filed in 1995. A town meeting vote will eventually be required to implement the plan, which consists of suggestions and ideas for the future development on the town.
“That’s a lot of work, Paul,” Selectman Chair Paul Gooch said, congratulating Montague and the comprehensive plan committee. “Well done.”
