Capital improvements top warrant.

Byline: Ellie Oleson

OXFORD - Voters at the Oct. 7 town meeting will be asked to fund $1 million in capital improvements, to help prepare for the town's 300th anniversary, to allow a water main down Dana Road and to strengthen bylaws on littering and loitering.

Town Manager Joseph M. Zeneski said 13 articles are on the special town meeting warrant, including a request to transfer some cash from free cash to the reserve fund.

"We are so lean with staff reductions that if someone gets sick, we can't make it work without a transfer," Mr. Zeneski said.

He also said that last year, no capital improvements were funded, leaving a backlog.

"We have $1 million in requests," he said.

These include requests for a new ambulance, forest-fire attack truck, two police cruisers, lights at Greenbriar Recreation Area, regrading and reseeding at Joslin Field, replacement of a town dump truck and sweeper, and a new van to transport handicapped students.

There is also a request to add funds to the town's Tercentenary Celebration Account, Mr. Zeneski said. "The celebration is just over three years away, in 2013, and we only have $1,000 in the account."

Another article asks for funds to install a water main on Dana Road to provide fire protection for industrial buildings there.

"A company has purchased the old Webster Spring building and needs a water main. There would be no cost to the taxpayers or ratepayers. Only those who benefit would pay," Mr. Zeneski said.

Town Clerk Lori A. Kelley is asking the town to accept a provision of state law that allows town offices to remain closed on Saturdays.

"Without this, if a deadline for filing papers falls on a Saturday, we have to open on Saturday," Mr. Zeneski said, pointing out that if employees have to come in on a Saturday, they are paid time-and-a-half.

Another article asks town meeting to authorize selectmen to sell the former police station at 450 Main St.

There is also a request from selectmen to petition the state for an additional wine and malt package store license, which would go to the Route 12 Variety store, 126 Main St., owned by Ashley M. Plasse.

The final three articles suggest changes to local bylaws. One would add littering to an existing bylaw preventing loitering. It would also prohibit scooters, bicycles, skateboards, roller skates and "wheeled devices for human transportation" other than wheelchairs, walkers and baby carriages from "any public building and walkway, stairs or grounds of a public building or on any town property."

Another article would make zoning bylaws less stringent when a change of use is requested for an existing building and more stringent when it comes to large projects, such as the Ashworth Hill housing project.

The final article asks that zoning bylaws be changed to give the Planning Board more flexibility in siting cell towers, Mr. Zeneski said.

The special town meeting, open to all Oxford registered voters, begins at 7 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Oxford High School auditorium.