Water committee details milfoil control costs and urges clearer CRF/operating budgeting

Lauren Neve and committee members reviewed milfoil and invasive-plant control costs for several recent years and discussed how recurring operating needs and occasional larger treatments (DASH and herbicide) should be funded. She presented figures for multiple years—e.g., $8,570 in 2023, $24,670 in 2024, and $25,600 in 2025 for DASH/herbicide and monitoring work—and said DES had recommended an approach that would cost roughly $108,545 this year, which the committee declined to request in full from the town.

Committee members emphasized creating consistent budgeting: encumbering grant receipts or setting aside match funds in CRF/ETF so grant dollars and matching taxpayer dollars are transparently applied to water-quality work rather than being placed into general unassigned fund balance. The chair and staff discussed practical next steps—returning with a clear annual maintenance funding proposal, showing options for splitting recurring costs into operating vs. CRF items, and a public-facing explanation of how grant matches are handled.