MINOT – Selectmen took no action Monday night on a request that they release the $8,000 the town received from the sale of wood harvested from the former Morrison and Hanscome properties. Instead, they plan to research the matter and respond in two weeks.
Candace Benwitz and Dan Gilpatric of the town’s Recreation Committee asked for the release in order to begin development of the land, located adjacent to the Minot Consolidated School, as a town recreation area.
“The first thing is to get a road in and to put in a 40-foot culvert and put fill over it, to gain access to the starting point for the walking trail system,” said Benwitz, noting that the committee wants to take quick steps to protect the vernal pool area, a move that could be made with some diversionary ditching associated with the road.
Gilpatric said the $8,000 is needed primarily to pay for materials, as he anticipates much of the work on the 1,200-foot access road would be done with volunteer labor and equipment.
While selectmen raised no objections to the scope of the work planned, they questioned whether the authority to release the funds lay with the board or the school committee. They agreed to research the records and give an answer in two weeks.
On another matter, they responded to Auburn City Manager Patricia Finnigan’s invitation to a meeting of officials from towns served by Adelphia Communications by asking Town Administrator Rhonda Irish to attend the July 6 meeting. The meeting’s purpose is to discuss the transfer application whereby Time Warner Cable will acquire Adelphia cable systems in Maine.
Selectmen have tried for years, without a great deal of success, to improve cable service in town, but taking note of Finnigan’s offer to join forces, they held out hope that the time of transfer may offer opportunity to make some gains for townspeople.
In her letter to the town, Finnigan wrote “by working together, we can more thoroughly examine the merits of this major transaction and we can create negotiating power to be sure that if the transfer is approved, it is on terms that benefit the municipalities and their citizens.”
In a related matter, the board also accepted for review a draft cable television ordinance as prepared by James Belleau, the town’s attorney.
In other business, Road Manager Arlan Saunders said he has received an official letter from the town of Hebron with a detailed agreement for Minot to extend its reclaiming/repaving project on Brighton Hill Road in order to include a portion that lies in Hebron. He also informed selectmen that he has reached an agreement for doing some minor road grading for Hebron.
Saunders also reported that Minot will be receiving two checks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency: one for $9,300 for the March 8-9 snowstorm and another for $6,100 for the March 11-12 storm.
Selectmen accepted for review a draft of Smith and Associates’ financial audit report for the town’s fiscal year ending Jan. 31, authorized the mailing of a newsletter alerting residents to changes in how certain permits are obtained, and will place a notice about a meeting for review of the updated town comprehensive plan.
They also agreed to reinstate the town’s impact fee committee to consider expanding the range of town services for which fees would be collected to include public safety, highways and recreation.
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