DURHAM

Some residents are wary of calculations that indicate the town will save money by paying its own people to clear the roads and cut the grass, rather than hiring private contractors to do it.

Others think it’s a good idea and just want to be done with the process already.

About 20 people sat through an informational hearing Tuesday at the Durham Community School regarding the town’s attempt to establish its own public works department.

Negotiations already are under way to buy an existing building and large equipment shop on Route 136 to house the department. The property belongs to resident and excavating contractor Mike Copp, who also has the town’s current winter plowing contract.

When — and if – the property deal is done, the town also likely would approach Copp to buy some of his trucks and plows, said Town Administrator Janet Smith. However, other new equipment also is being priced by a steering committee for when the town has bond money in hand to start purchasing its own machinery.

Portland law firm Bernstein Shur is acting as the town’s bond counsel; attorneys there have advised Smith and the selectmen to obtain a bond anticipation note of $700,000 to use as a municipal line of credit until the town can pass separate general obligation bonds to buy property and equipment.

New language governing drug testing, overtime compensation and on-call employment also will have to be drafted and ratified for inclusion in the town’s policy manual.

Royalsborough Road resident Norm White said he was concerned that the process was taking too long.

He also worried that the numbers weren’t being made public, and that the town might overpay and cause yet another hike in the tax rate.

Alice McPeake, who lives on Rabbit Road and serves on the steering committee, tried to reassure White.

“I’m looking for the best deal for me, as far as  my taxes are concerned, and the best deal for the town, as well,” she said. “I don’t want my taxes to go up, either.”