LIVERMORE FALLS – Officials from Livermore and Livermore Falls agreed Tuesday night that meeting face to face is the first step in finding areas of cooperation.

“We all want the same things, to better both communities,” said host Chairman Bernal Lake. “There’s no big ideas coming up, but we needed to get together.”

“We’re both looking at the mill rate,” added John Wakefield of Livermore. “We’re either going to do it or be forced to, we’re all ears if there’s some way we can do it and save bucks.”

Wakefield noted that things the towns have done together, like the ambulance and Spruce Mountain ski area, have been very successful.

“We’re two tiny towns. We support two of everything, fire departments, landfills, etc.,” said Ken Jacques of Livermore Falls. “Look at the money we tie up in firetrucks,” he added, referring to the purchases in Jay as well as the other two towns.

Recent written complaints about slow police response were brought up since Livermore is covered by State Police and the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department and sometimes people don’t understand why Livermore Falls police can’t respond.

Another major expense for both towns is their transfer stations. Livermore has two part-time employees and Livermore Falls one full-time. Both send items to Jay. There could be savings in road work, officials suggested: the purchase of culverts, salt and sand, for instance, and perhaps cooperative paving bids.

No firm decisions were made but each board will advise their manager/administrative assistant to discuss cooperative feelings. The host town manager, Alan Gove, was unable to attend due to illness. Livermore’s administrative assistant Kurt Schaub was attending a Planning Board session.

Besides having those two men work together, the boards agreed that communication between them and with their constituents is important. “If they have a better understanding, the townspeople will stand behind us,” said Doreen Maheux.

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