Heavy trucks will be banned from 13 city streets between March and May, councilors agreed Tuesday.

The City Council agreed to ban vehicles weighing more than 23,000 pounds from the streets to keep them from being damaged during the spring thaw.

Heavy vehicles will be banned from the following roads: Ferry Road between Cottage and River roads, River Road between Ferry Road and the Solid Waste Facility, Dyer Road between Lisbon and Ferry roads, Pinewood Road between Ferry Road and the town line, Gayton Road between Lisbon Road and the town line, Webster Road between Old Lisbon and Crowley roads, Merrill Road between College Road and Main Street, Sleeper Road between Merrill Road and the town line, Randall Road between Sunrise Lane and Grove Street, Grover Street between Randall Road and the town line, Old Greene Road between North Temple Street and the town line, No Name Pond Road between Old Greene Road and the town line, and Pond Road between Cherrywood Drive and No Name Pond Road.

– Scott Taylor
Lewiston: Farwell bond advances

Councilors signed off on $11.3 million in debt to build a new Farwell School Tuesday night.

Voters in December approved plans to build a new school on the current Farwell site, as well as a bigger gym.

Farwell was named the 10th neediest school in Maine in 2002 by the state Department of Education. The current Farwell school is 50 years old, overcrowded and in need of $3 million in repairs to leaky roofs, and aging heating, plumbing and electrical systems.

Construction on the new school is scheduled to begin March 2006. It is expected to be finished by August 2007.

– Scott Taylor
Lewiston: Erasing a potential deficit

The city will move $1.4 million into a workers compensation fund to help erase a potential deficit.

Lewiston is self-insured when it comes to workers compensation. The city pays into a fund that is used to pay injured city employees’ medical claims and salaries.

The balance for the fund is $506,790, based on the city’s 2004 annual report. However, the city could end up paying as much as $3.5 million in claims, according to the insurance risk study.

Tuesday’s decision cuts the potential deficit almost in half.

“And hopefully, in a couple of years, we can shift that money back into the general fund,” said City Administrator Jim Bennett.

– Scott Taylor
Lewiston: Group to review design standards

A new city committee will work to create design standards for downtown Lewiston.

The City Council created an Urban Design Standards Committee to create written standards and make sure new developments blend and fit well with existing buildings.

The committee will be led by City Councilor Mark Paradis, Planning Board member Tom Truchon, Board of Appeals member Paul Robinson and Phil Meldrum, a member of the city’s historic preservation board.

– Scott Taylor