| Joanne Cole |
The Select Board on Monday kick-started the annual conversation about which roads should be paved next, approved revised bid documents for a replacement ambulance and settled next steps for a foreclosed parcel at 1173 Lewiston Road.
The board tabled two items for action later. The award of a contract for a new phone system was postponed so that Interim Town Manager Bradley Plante can investigate needs and alternatives. And A.H. Grover’s proposal to pave a portion of Pond Road was deferred until the town receives additional information from Grover. Even so, the board found plenty to discuss over the course of two-and-a-half hours.
Laying groundwork for paving. Continuing an effort to catch up and pave overdue roads, the board decided to ask Public Works Director Ted Shane what could be covered with a further $500,000 beyond what’s already allotted for paving this year. The money would come from the town’s Undesignated Fund, and the expenditure would need to be approved by voters, perhaps in a November special town meeting, board members said.
A similar ‘doubling up’ approach was used this year to address more roads, when the board put an additional $477,700 for paving out to a February 28, 2022 special town meeting and voters approved. A further $347,300 for FY23 followed at the annual town meeting in May. Finance Director Lori-Anne Wilson says nearly all of the $477,700 from February–$475,975 to be exact—has carried over into the current fiscal year that started July 1.
Which roads might get attention? Gloucester Hill Road, the paved portion of Rowe Station Road, Waterman Drive and McKenney Drive topped Shane’s list from February. But board members mentioned Bald Hill Road as a priority because of residents’ travel to the Transfer Station. The board also hoped Shane would explore chip sealing more roads/segments as a cost-saving measure. Residents can enjoy a chip seal driving experience on the portions of Penney Road that were recently completed.
Board discussions made clear that gravel roads won’t be candidates for any ‘bonus’ batch of paving. The dirt roads first need field assessment of their condition, and projects may be so expensive as to require bonding, Chair Peter Bragdon said. There’s also the question of how to determine whether residents do or don’t want gravel roads paved, member Dustin Ward noted. Deputy Clerk Sharlene Myers reminded the board about Woodman Road residents who opposed paving it years ago. For now, Ted Shane will return in early October with recommendations for what to do with an additional $500,000.
Ambulance bid documents. The board approved a simplified bid package for a replacement ambulance for Fire Rescue prepared by Interim Manager Bradley Plante and Interim Chief Craig Bouchard. The town will solicit bids for a Type 1 ambulance only. The Type 1 versus Type 3 build/chassis has been a subject of ongoing debate, and both were included in the previous RFP. Manager Plante mentioned that Poland will choose a Type 1 to replace its current Type 3s.
An effort by member Stephen Hathorne to also ask vendors to price re-mounting the town’s current ambulance ‘box’ onto a new Type 1 chassis got no traction, failing on a 1-4 vote. The board had previously declined to invest $22,000 in repairs to the current box, preferring instead to go all-new, and did so again here.
Bids will be due October 17, and the board hopes to make an award on October 24. Vendors are being asked to hold their prices for at least 45 days, to provide time to hold a special town meeting, tentatively Monday, November 21. Voters would be considering not just the ambulance purchase but the source of funds: unspent ARPA funds or the town’s Undesignated Fund.
What the ambulance will cost is anyone’s guess. Through the months of board discussion, Interim Chief Bouchard cautioned about rapidly escalating prices. Member Tammy Donovan echoed the point at this meeting, saying the delays are costing the taxpayers money. “Well, that’s an assumption, that it’ll cost more money,” said Chair Peter Bragdon. “Be ready,” Donovan replied.
Parcel at 1173 Lewiston Road. The board considered next steps with a one-acre town-owned foreclosed property at 1173 Lewiston Road. Previously, member Stephen Hathorne had suggested it might be the site for a long-discussed Upper Village water tower. But after looking into the water tower idea further, Hathorne questioned its viability.
So it was on to selling the Lewiston Road parcel while the market is hot. But how best to proceed: Public auction? Realtor? Members aired out the pros and cons, including the broker’s commission. They settled on directing the manager to work with a realtor to put the property on the market.
Licenses and fees. A request by the Fraternal Order of Eagles on Sabbathday Road to renew its liquor license led to general conversation about town event fees and licenses. Do food trucks that don’t have liquor licenses pay a fee? board members asked. How about other businesses in town: a pottery business, a landscape business, a photographer, for example?
The board will undertake a more comprehensive discussion later, aiming to support businesses but also generate revenue. They approved the Eagles’ license—the club’s application noted $290,000 in gross revenues for alcohol sales and $44,000 in food sales this year. The board also bumped up the fee for a one-day liquor license to $50 and a one-day catering/BYOB license to $25.
Support for Port Resources grant application. Stuart Simon appeared on behalf of Port Resources, a non-profit based in South Portland that runs group homes, to request board support for a Community Development Block Grant request. The grant would fund roofing, heat pumps, repairs and other improvements for its home with four residents on Country Charm Lane, off Peacock Hill Road. (Meeting documents erroneously listed Penney Road as the site.) Simon explained that grant funds come from HUD and are administered by the state. With Town approval essentially a formality for Port Resources’ application, the board gave it.
Pond Road and A.H. Grover. Interim Manager Plante reported on a recent meeting he and Public Works Director Ted Shane had with A.H. Grover about its proposal to pave a portion of Pond Road—a gravel road—in exchange for permission to run trucks year-round. Pond Road is posted against heavy loads during mud season.
Originally, Grover proposed paving an additional 200’ at the Route 26 end of Pond Road, just enough to reach its own access road to the rock quarry and, in the view of board members, offering little benefit to Pond Road residents. Weary residents had brought a petition to the board last spring describing long-standing issues with Grover’s hauling operations.
Manager Plante told the board that at their recent meeting Grover had raised two possibilities and Plante had asked the company for a draft agreement and a map and photos to pin down the locations. But Grover didn’t supply all the requested information by meeting time on Monday, so the item was tabled. More to come.
New phone system placed on hold. The board took no action to award a new VOIP phone system for the Town. Bids were received from several vendors last month, reflecting varying elements, technical details and prices. The bid documents went out before Interim Manager Plante arrived, and he wants to get up to speed on needs and alternatives. The item was tabled at his request. A detailed bid analysis prepared for the board by Sarah Gusky Kemer of the Cable TV Committee gives Manager Plante a running start on options.
There was more. To watch video of the Select Board September 19, 2022 meeting, click here. For the meeting agenda and related documents, click here.
Editor’s note: The section reporting on the phone system was updated to clarify the nature of the bids received, and I’ve corrected the address of the town-owned property. My apologies ~ Joanne
