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<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> There have been many budget hearings over the last few weeks,</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> which have kept the answers to David's questions in flux. But</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> here goes...</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><i><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> On Sun, 21 May 2006 23:33:22 -0400, David Hiles wrote:</FONT></i></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><i><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> >I looked over the draft budget and I have a few questions.</FONT></i></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><i><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> >1) Why is the newsletter budget being cut by $3,000?</FONT></i></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> It came in well under budget this year so the thinking was that </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> it probably did not need the funds and that there were other</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> funds that could be made available if it turned out it was needed. </FONT></div>
<div> </div>
<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> At the last budget hearing late Thursday night, I asked that the</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> newsletters budget be kept at last years level as a sign of support</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> and encouragement and in hopes of seeing improvements that might </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> be made possible with the money. The mayor and council agreed </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> and the newsletter budget will be the same next year as this year.</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><i><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> >2) What is the status of the Transol red light camera project?</FONT></i></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> There are no red light cameras active in the town at this time.</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><i><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> >3) What is the status of the road project tied to the drainage project</FONT></i></div>
<div><i><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> in Ward 2?</FONT></i></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> (This was discussed by others here on TownTalk.)</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> There is also a project in Ward 1 on 43rd St that is 7 years overdue </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> that looks like it will be completed in the next few weeks. This street </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> is shared with Hyattsville. We replaced the curbs in 1999 and money </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> was set aside to re-pave it.</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> However, as I understand it, the gas company held the project up </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> because road cuts were planned. We have been assured that the </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> needed cuts will be done soon (yeah right) and then this street </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> will finally be re-paved. The town has coordinated with Hyattsville </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> (who is currently doing a lot of street work in this area) to complete </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> the job. I have called the gas company several times, as has town </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> staff, to keep reminding them that this must get done. Will it actually </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> happen? Your guess is as good as mine, but I am hopeful.</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><i><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> >4) The town used to have a working water tanker truck. What is the</FONT></i></div>
<div><i><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> status of getting that truck working or replaced?</FONT></i></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> I am fuzzy on the details here, but my understanding is that the water </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> truck continues to give problems, but that we have a backup - a water </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> tank that can be loaded onto a pickup truck which works just fine.</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> -Rob</FONT></div>
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