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NORTH MANCHESTER -ÊNorth Manchester Town Council approved an upgrade to the town's old water tower stand at Wednesday's council meeting.
The plan calls to beautify the old and broken cement slab near the public library on Market Street, where a water tower used to stand. Landscaping, a new cement cap and a rock wall will be added.
Brian Wagner, parks director, said the parks department sees this as phase one of the upgrade. They hope to someday put a small gazebo or trellis on top of the new smooth slab.
The upgrade will cost the town about $3,500 from the utility fund. Maintenance, upkeep and labor will be provided by the parks department.
Town superintendent of public works, John Mugford, said the area "has been an eyesore for about two years," and that beautifying the area is cheaper than removing the structure altogether.
"It's cheaper to do this than remove it, and a lot less hassle," Mugford said.
Wagner said the parks department hopes to have the project completed by summer.
In other business, the council:
• Approved a tax abatement for R&B Properties. The company leased a building last year to Daehnfeldt Inc., a new employer for the town last year. The company is no longer in business in the town.
• Was reminded that Arbor Day observance is at 2:45 p.m. April 30 at Manchester Junior High School. The town is not planting trees this year because funds are low due to high numbers of trees planted in past years.
"We're a little bit of a victim of our own success because we've planted so many trees in years past," Wagner said.
Members of the public are invited to attend Arbor Day.
• Tabled a motion to accept the new police policy manual because not all council members had the chance to review the new book. Town manager Dan Hannaford said the new manual is aligned with state accreditation standards and reflects how Manchester Police Department actually works.
• Announced that spring cleanup starts April 26 and should last about one week. Bagged or boxed trash in piles no larger than 4 feet by 8 feet will be picked up. The cleanup will start on the east side of town and move west.
Town council members are Chris Garber, Diana Haupert, Don Rinearson, Stan Escott and Laura Rager. Town manager is Dan Hannaford, secretary-treasurer is Nancy Reed and town attorney is Charles Tiede.
