At a joint board meeting with both the Northfield Selectboard and the Village Trustees present on Monday evening, the main topic of discussion was the overrun on the redevelopment of the south side of the Common. town manager, that the electric department can not fund highway projects.

Mr. Morse replied that “I was astounded” that it was being done, but thought that there may have been some unknown changes that would allow the burying of the lines to be paid for by the electric department.

Ms. Allard said that using the electric department to purchase materials saved about 30 percent on the burying of the lines.

Trustee Kevin Beal said that, just as the water department has to pay for repaving a road when replacing water lines, so the highway department has to pay for its decision to bury the electric lines.

Trustee Chairman Colin Bright said that the highway department made a conscious decision to move the utility lines.

Selectman Ken Johnson said that, if burying the lines was a highway decision to be paid by the tax payer, “why didn’t we know about it, why weren’t we informed?”

Mr. Bright said that the choice of funding for the burying of the lines has made “an uncomfortable situation for everyone,” and that communication between the two boards “over the last six months has been difficult.”

Mr. Johnson replied that “this isn’t about whether we get along,” but is about “one side made a decision and all of a sudden, here is the bill.”

Selectman Ken Goslant said that “we have a situation that has to be dealt with,” and that the collective members of the boards should just sit down together and work it out.

Mr. Morse said that “the project is good,” but would like to know what is being done and that he has “no documentation to inform me.”

The trustees did say that they voted to remove from the village budget line item the approximately $51,500 that it is expected to cost for burying utility lines on the north and west sides of the common to present to the votersatTownmeetingasaseparately warned article, and that the dollar figure may change, as not all the cost estimates have been received.

As to the inclusion of the village manager’s salary in the highway budget, Mr. Bright said that the position is not shared with the town and the current manager is a Village employee, paid as part of the highway budget, just as other Village highway employees are.