2157 votes cast
1420 voted yes
65%
Well done. Now let’s get the party planning underway.
Mike
Around Town, Environment, Exeter River, Great Bay, News comment, Sea&Sky, Squamscott River, Squamscott River Film, Stewart Park Project, The Great Beyond
- Comment
- Reblog
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
The Exeter Town Crier 
This is a pivotal and monumental opportunity for Downtown Exeter, upstream Exeter, PEA, tourists, visitors, the Seacoast, fisherman, boaters, educators (plus many more) and all of Exeter to appreciate the yet unimagined benefits of a natural Exeter River.
Now can the Select Board unite, comprehend this unique moment in time, offer leadership with new economic and town planning visions?
The Exeter River Study Committee will continue to listen to the community viewpoints and deal with the paths ahead. Please include on your calendar to attend an upcoming meeting and share your visions and thoughts.
LikeLike
Artists too Frank! I had suggested to Bill Childs that he render one of his gems for me using his minds eye of the restored Great! Falls.
His imagining I thought could have proved useful in the campaign.
I can’t wait now to gaze upon the reality.
Mr Childs I will also commission all 4 seasons so get ready to paint!
There are indeed a host of exciting opportunities on the near horizon.
LikeLike
Thank you to the people of Exeter for sticking up for the Exeter River, the Squamscott River and the Great Bay. Our generation will be remembered in Exeter’s history for recognizing the value of the dams removal and not being afraid to embrace change.
Looking forward to seeing the first kayak”shoot the rapids”.
LikeLike
Special thanks to David Murray of Clear Eye Photo for his volunteer photo interpretation of the downtown Exeter River as a free flowing river. David climbed in his time machine to 1625 and created a birds eye view of the upper falls and further downstream that brought future possibilities into focus for attendees of the Exeter River Committee Fireside Chat (Feb 6th, 2014). I would recommend David for any of your commercial projects.
LikeLike
As worthy as the project may be, I wonder how the vote would have turned out without the now-not happening grant?
LikeLike
The 2014 general election vote to “remove” was not predicated on outside funding. Previous general election votes allocated substantial funding to study the significant safety and environmental liabilities of the 100 year old poured concrete structure.
I’ll play “what if”: What if the cost of past environmental damage was added to the future cost of maintaining the dam?
LikeLike
You’re absolutely right about the 2014 vote and everything else. I guess we’ll juest have to wait and see how the self-proclaimed protectors of the fisc feel about that, now that removal is going to cost lots of real money.
LikeLike
The Bond monies have been secured for Dam Removal per the BOS. The 10 year payments on that 2.3% bond are estimated at 200-250K/year depending on how fast the monies are spent on the project.
Additional grants opportunities are currently being applied for and ongoing efforts to identify those grants is a priority. If received, those grants monies would be applied to paying down the bond and saving Exeter taxpayers.
If no grants are received and the bond payments are met entirely by Exeter taxpayer dollars the estimated (with many many assumptions) tax increase is ~15cents/thousand.
If Exeter economic development swells the revenue stream past increases in spending then one could argue that no one will see the 15 cent uptick.
LikeLike
As I said, i agree with all that. But the hypocrisy of those who object like clockwork to the spending of nickels for paper clips is stunning.
LikeLike