No other ideas submitted from public
BY JOHN CHICK
Special to The VOICE
Pelham Town Council voted 5-1 on Monday night to endorse the Rotary Club of Fonthill’s privately-funded plan to rebuild the arches over Pelham Town Square. Only Ward 1 Councillor Marianne Stewart voted against the endorsement, which came after she led an amendment to the motion which would have required the Rotary Club to sign a binding written agreement detailing their plans to fund the reconstruction of the arches through charitable donations, and provide a reserve fund for ongoing maintenance of the new, taller wooden structure.
Rotary had already submitted to council their intentions to do those things, and in the end the amendment to hold them to a binding written agreement was defeated 4-2 – with only Stewart and Ward 3 Councillor Lisa Haun voting for the idea.
“I don’t understand why we would ask Rotary for this,” Ward 2 Councillor Ron Kore said, given the club has already outlined their plan. “It’s a gift.”
Stewart pointed out, however, that the Town was on the hook for cleanup when the old arches blew down in a windstorm this past winter.
“We were responsible for the last time they came down,” she said.
The Town had attempted to solicit public response for alternative public decorations rather than the arches, but received none.
