By Connie Footman,Special to the Sun Journal

LISBON – Selectmen have amended the town personnel policy regarding employees who technically retire and begin to collect benefits, but then return to the payroll.

Employees eligible to collect retirement benefits at age 60 may still continue to do so, but if they decide to return to their jobs, the town will no longer contribute toward their retirement. Workers may continue to contribute toward it themselves, Town Manager Curtis Lunt said.

The town is required to contribute to Social Security, but can opt out of participating in the International City Managers Association Retirement program and the Maine State Retirement System.

One of the first employees falling under the new policy is Tax Assessor Gerald Samson, who recently turned 60, and will be collecting retirement benefits. He was allowed to resign the remainder of his five-year appointment, after which selectmen reappointed him to that position until June 2007.

In other business, selectmen voted to enter an agreement with Gendron Realty, the firm that is constructing the mall on Route 196 in Lisbon Falls. It will allow the mall to open before road improvements at the intersection of Routes 9 and 196 and the intersection of Frost Hill Avenue.

The mall is expected to be open within a few weeks, but agreed-upon intersection improvements cannot be made during the winter.

The agreement allows up to three years to do the work, which is estimated to cost about $87,000. Plans call for a right turning lane for traffic entering Route 9 and will require moving sidewalks, and moving some curbing on Route 9 near Frost Hill Avenue. A permit will be needed from the MDOT for the change.

A public hearing on a dangerous building on 39 Village St. that was tabled at an earlier meeting to March 1 has been continued until March 15 at the request of the property owner’s attorney.

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