Oxford Board of Selectmen

April 19, 2018

Oxford Town Office

What happened: Chris Bachman of RHR Smith & Company, certified public accountants, discussed the annual audit.

What it means: Bachman said the General Fund Balance was $3.69 million for the fiscal year from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017. Of that amount about $1.9 million is unassigned money. He told the board that standard accounting recommendations for a town such as Oxford indicate it should have enough money on hand to operate for 90 days, but because Oxford has numerous reserve funds, having enough money for about 75 days is not a negative. He said overall the town is “going in the right direction.”

What’s next: Bachman said he is working with Finance Clerk Becky Lippincott on modifying certain accounting procedures that will better reflect the town’s money and make the General Fund more transparent by separating certain accounts out. The board has agreed to review certain budgets, such as the transfer station that showed an overage for fiscal year 2018, and to have Town Manager Butch Asselin provide quarterly reports to selectmen on the status of the budget.

Welchville Dam study

What happened: Asselin said he is waiting to hear whether the town will be approved to submit an application to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Resilience Grants Program to fund a feasibility study of the Welchville Dam on the Little Androscoggin River.

What it means: Asselin said, if approved, the town would have information to determine the effects of removing the dam, particularly on Hogan and Whitney ponds. A previous study deemed it structurally unsound.

What’s next: Asselin said he believes the town is in a good position to get the go-ahead on an application. If it does not, he will look at other means to fund a study.

Roof repairs

What happened: Asselin reported that a recent roof leak at the Oxford Municipal Building on Pleasant Street resulted in water in the lobby area.

What it means: A roofing company repaired the roof but found 28 holes where the water might have come through. The roof’s warranty expired last year.

What’s next: Asselin said he thinks the repairs should fix the problem.