Selectmen to research wind farms

DIXFIELD – Three members of the Board of Selectmen along with Town Manager Eugene Skibitsky plan to attend a special breakfast meeting on wind farms next week in Paris.

The event will take place from 7 to 9 a.m. Oct. 23 at the Four Seasons Function Center on Route 26. It is hosted by the Western Maine Economic Development Council. Among those planning to attend are representatives from Patriot Renewables LLC, a Quincy, Mass., wind development company that is tentatively planning to build a wind farm along a ridge in Dixfield that includes Colonel Holman Mountain. Selectmen Norine Clarke, Steve Donahue and Jim Desjardins plan to attend the Paris meeting.

The town is holding a special town meeting Wednesday to ask whether residents want a six-month moratorium on wind farm development. It would give give the town time to write and adopt an ordinance that would govern the construction of such developments.

Skibitsky said Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments is also holding a planning day and general meeting with a focus on wind power from the municipal perspective on Nov. 5. At least one selectman and Skibitsky will likely attend.

Closer to the area, some on the Dixfield board are also tentatively planning to attend a wind power forum in Rumford on Tuesday night prompted by tentative plans by the Newton, Mass., firm of First Wind LLC to construct a wind farm atop a ridge that includes Black Mountain.

In other matters at Monday's Dixfield selectmen's meeting, the board learned of a contract with Bedard Excavation to build drainage on Brian Street and Hall Hill Road, and to provide slope work on the Averill Hill Road. The cost for the projects will be $38,600. Work has already begun. It is expected to be completed this fall.

The board also decided to invite a sidewalk plow dealer representative to the next regular meeting Oct. 26 to discuss a possible purchase or lease-purchase of a replacement piece of equipment. The town's equipment reserve has about $55,000 available, a figure that is not sufficient for the purchase.

Mexico Water District Superintendent Jim White said flushing of the water mains in town will begin on Oct. 25 and likely take about four days.

eadams@sunjournal.com