WRENTHAM - Voters at Monday's annual town meeting will be asked to appropriate money to enhance public safety communications in the west end and treat weeds in Lake Pearl.

The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of King Philip Regional High School off Franklin Street (Route 140).

As usual, the budget for the fiscal year kicking off July 1 will be tabled to a June town meeting as will be most other financial matters, town officials say.

There is also a special town meeting within Monday's town meeting.

The requests for money for public safety communications and lake weeds are within the special meeting. Residents will be asked to come up with more money - $47,601, to resolve the long-standing public safety communications problems in the hilly west end.

Portable radios have been unreliable.

Residents at the fall town meeting voted overwhelmingly to appropriate $60,000, but bids came in higher than expected for a 100-foot high pole and antenna to be put up near the town's water tank off Rhodes Drive.

A total of $30,000 is requested by the Lake Pearl Study Committee for the weed treatment in the town's largest and only public waterway, Lake Pearl.

Weed treatment sought

The town for three years used chemicals to treat the troublesome weeds, but held off on that last year.

Study committee members look for the money to begin what they say is a new three-year program involving a different herbicide.

At the recommendation of committee members, boat landing fees at the lake were increased by selectmen and are intended to cover the cost of weed treatment.

However, the sharp rise in fees has sparked complaints and persuaded the state to take a second look at whether it will stock the lake with fish this year.

Another article on the special warrant requests $277,000 to supplement this fiscal year's budget. The biggest chunk of the money - $246,000, would be to cover the deficit in the snow and ice removal account, which had $150,000 budgeted but costs ran $396,000. Also, $117,000 is sought to pay a contractor for the Lake Pearl well project.

A dispute between the contractor and town prompted the town to withhold partial payment, resulting in legal action. A court settlement ran $179,000, and a low-interest state loan took care of $63,000.

The finance committee supports the above requests.

On the regular meeting warrant is an article, by citizen petition, that proposes to rezone two lots off Route 1 to make their zoning mirror other lots south to Interstate 495.

A bylaw concerning stormwater management is also up for a vote.

STEPHEN PETERSON can be reached at 508-236-0377 or at speterson@thesunchronicle.com.