A meeting to vote on the spending has been scheduled.
By Jim Smedley
Staff Writer

GREENWOOD – Selectmen set a special town meeting to approve spending $15,000 to meet a shortage in the SAD 44 funding Tuesday.

Town Manager Carol Whitman said she underestimated the funding by that amount. The SAD 44 appropriation approved at town meeting was estimated at $575,751.

The special town meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 10 at the town office. There will also be an informational meeting on the Alder River Dam held after the town meeting.

Selectman Ivan Roberts reported that draining Mill Pond would begin Saturday morning. The pond will be drained and the rest of the water held back by a newly constructed coffer dam so repairs can be made to the berms and sluice gate of the current dam.

Whitman told selectmen that the emergency action plan required for the dam was verbally approved by the Maine Emergency Management Agency and that with receipt of a better copy of the map of the area, official approval will be issued.

Selectman Wayne Hakala noted there were three other dams in the Greenwood area that would need similar plans. He volunteered to put those plans together.

Whitman reported that the determination of whether or not junk cars were on property acquired by the town by foreclosure had not yet been resolved.

Gary Inman, a surveyor, had been sent to survey the land formerly owned by Peter Gordon along the Rabbitt Road near the Bethel line. He completed most of the work, but markers put on the property by a previous surveyor had been removed.

The town is trying to determine if junk cars in the vicinity are actually on town property.

Inman said he needed to contact the previous surveyor before he could move forward on the project.

Selectmen wrestled with the problem of Douglas Grover’s refusal to date of signing a letter that would give him 90 days to rectify problems with his junkyard on Rowe Hill.

The letter, issued by town attorney Alan J. Perry, requires Grover to remove within 90 days remaining vehicles, tires, batteries, metal accumulations and antifreeze; to erect a building for storage; erect a fence; apply for and receive a permit to operate; and repay the town for legal costs incurred.

Roberts said he did not think it would be fair to make an exception for Grover, and that putting a lien on his property might be the only way to go, although he would prefer having Grover let the town clean up the property and make arrangements for repaying the town.

Whitman said that Grover was working on cleaning the site, but had no funds to repay the town.

Selectmen Fred Roberts suggested that the matter be sent back to the attorney for review. The other selectmen agreed.

Selectmen also:

• Learned that the proposed 2004 state valuation of Greenwood rose form $64.15 million to $73.7 million.

• Heard that Alan Hamilton, the chairman of the Comprehensive Planning Board, and the board disagreed with the state assessment that the town’s comprehensive plan was inconsistent in four areas. He and the board invited state representatives to meet with them to review the information.

jsmedley@sunjournal.com

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