Heritage commission reports veterans-flag shortage; $22,560 invoice for flags shared with select board

Heritage Commission chair Bob told the select board that he sets flags for veterans' graves each Memorial Day and that the program was 42 flags short this year. To avoid immediate shortages, he said he ordered a gross (144) of flags from Martin's Flag and presented an invoice to the town treasurer.

"There's a line item in the budget entitled 'patriotic purposes' — $250 had been set aside for this purpose," Bob told the board. He said he purchased 144 flags, that the order had already arrived and that he had begun placing flags. He provided an invoice for $22,560 and asked the board to authorize tapping the line item and processing payment so veterans would receive flags this Memorial Day.

Board members acknowledged the purchase and said they would include the flag invoice with other invoices when they signed warrants. The board also noted that the purchase will leave the current 'patriotic purposes' line item far short of the purchase price and that normal budget lines do not anticipate a purchase at that scale.

Later in the evening the clerk read the invoices for payment and that batch included an entry noting the Martin's Flag charge in the town's accounts list; the treasurer was reported to be prepared to submit payment.