Minot’s 911 calls are currently routed through the Maine State Police barracks in Gray.
MINOT – Selectmen Monday night voted to enter into a contract with the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department for emergency dispatching services.

Currently, Minot’s 911 calls are routed through the Maine State Police dispatching services in the Troop B barracks in Gray.

Selectmen consider the move more cost-effective and efficient.

While the board took no action regarding the Maine Department of Transportation’s recommendation to dead-end Old Woodman Hill Road at the Minot Avenue intersection, it did meet with resident George Paiton to discuss the recent accident history of the Minot corner area.

Paiton and selectmen were in agreement that speed in the area is the major concern.

Paiton pressed for having Old Woodman Hill Road posted “no thru traffic.”

Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Guy Desjardins and Capt. Raymond Lafrance advised that enforcement of “no thru traffic” signs is not realistic, but they agreed with Paiton that such signs could reduce the amount of non-local traffic using the road.

In his report, Road Manager Arlan Saunders noted he has received good initial response to both the town’s culvert and paving/reclaiming bid packages. To date, Saunders has met with four paving contractors and has received three bids on the culvert package.

Bids are due April 23 with bid opening scheduled for the selectmen’s April 26 meeting.

Saunders said his crew will be painting a former school bus this week, taking advantage of the expected rainy weather.

The bus was acquired by the town when the school department declared it as surplus property last fall. The highway department will use it as an office trailer, trucking materials, signs and barricades to work sites. Saunders also reported that he has enrolled the highway department with the Maine Motor Transport Association to take part in their random drug/alcohol testing program.

The program costs the town $50 to join plus a $1 one-time fee per person registered to participate.

Meeting with School Committee Chairman Colleen Quint, selectmen learned that the School Committee intends to hold a special meeting to fill a vacancy created on the board when Michael Callahan resigned a week ago. A date for the meeting has not been scheduled.

Town Administrator Gregory Gill told the board he had arranged for Adelphia area representative Mike Edgecomb to be at the selectmen’s April 26 meeting to discuss the town’s cable contract.