Town Administrator Richard LaCamera believes road repairs and Town Hall renovations need to happen, and soon.

“I think its time we look at our options,” LaCamera said at Monday night's Board of Selectmen meeting. “We can’t continue putting band-aids on this building. We need a new roof, a better heating system and that’s expensive. There’s no way we can afford it, but we need to plan for the future.”

Renovating Town Hall or just relocating to a more modern building is also an issue, he said.

"Planning for the future is exactly why the town needs to make these repairs now," LaCamera explained.  If the town waits to make any improvements, there simply will not be enough to cover the costs, he said.

According to LaCamera, Rochester has $150,000 available for road maintenance and repair in addition to $240,000 given to the town on a yearly basis for this type of work.  However, he said, the price of asphalt has gone up 30 or 40 percent and the town already has $4 million in roadwork that needs to be done.

One way in which LaCamera suggested the town collect the needed funds would be tax overrides. LaCamera said knowing raising taxes is “an unpopular subject matter” it would be wise of the board to explore this as an option and gather all of the necessary information before making a formal presentation.

LaCamera mentioned borrowing the money, which board member Richard D. Nunes was in agreement with.

“The good thing about borrowing is that the interest rates are low,” Nunes said.  “Now is the time to borrow rather than in five or ten years down the line.”

Nunes added that with asphalt being made from oil and the price of oil on the rise, this makes the timing of these repairs only more important to do now.

For now, LaCamera will be sending out a request to the town’s various boards addressing the urgency of these issues. In early December the town will begin preparations for the 2013 budget, which LaCamera said he would like to see some of these repairs addressed in.

In other business:

The 2013 budget planning is under way and according to LaCamera, Rochester has received a 37 percent reduction in state aid over the last few years.  He said he would like to start meeting the town’s committees, including the school committees, so that each one knows where the town stands financially. LaCamera said he is looking to begin these meetings shortly after Thanksgiving.

Allen Decker, Director of Land Protection for the Buzzards Bay Coalition, presented the board with a request for the approval of Marion’s conservation restriction off the area of Vaughan Hill and Perry Hill roads. The 54-acre property was bought by the town of Marion for drinking water protection and this restriction, Decker said, will insure that this happens.  According to the agreement, the Buzzards Bay Coalition will be the holder of the restriction but the town of Marion will be the owner.  The board approved the restriction.