TURNER – Junkyards and/or auto graveyards that do not have a permit got the attention of selectmen at their meeting Tuesday night.
Town Manager James Caitlin provided the board with a list of 18 sites provided by Code Enforcement Officer Roger Williams. Owners of record of those properties will be receiving a letter from the selectmen notifying them that they have until October of this year to obtain a license to operate such a facility, or clean it up, or further action will be taken by the town.
Caitlin was instructed to be certain that the letter made it clear that all people in this situation were being treated equally in an effort to get everyone to comply.
The complete list of properties is available at the town office, and includes seven properties on Auburn Road, two properties each on Fern and Upper Streets and Trask Road, and one each on Cobb, Mill Hill, Plains, Little Wilson Pond, and Weston roads.
Seven other permitted yards will be notified that their permits will run out the first day of October 2005 and that they need to take action to renew or clean up.
Selectmen also voted to take $500 from Conservation Committee funds to contribute to a Communities Getting Involved project to help clean up the Androscoggin River. The board acknowledged receipt of the group’s officer, Eric Goodwin, for such a donation, and said it would deliver the money on completion of that particular segment of the project.
Selectman Henry Gibbert reported that senior citizens in the community were very pleased with the Fourth of July Celebration coordinated by many volunteers. There was a parade, games on the common, a strawberry shortcake festival, and open houses for the library and historical museum in the Leavitt Institute Building. But Gibbert said there was much dismay that there was no musical group in the parade, and asked why the high school band had not participated.
Selectman Ralph Caldwell said he had been a volunteer coordinator of the parade part of the celebration and had found that members of the school band were too dispersed at this time of year.
Gibbert and other members of the board agreed that would indeed present a problem, but he feels the community gives enough to support the band to request that it participate in this once-a-year event.
Caldwell agreed and asked Gibbert and other members of the board and the town to help him provide a musical element for future parades.
Commercial Paving Co. was awarded a $97,884 contract for paving in the community with the stipulation that some problems associated with a paving job last construction season are corrected to the satisfaction of the town.
Caitlin said that would be the case and that the company was already working on making those corrections. T and T Tree Experts was awarded a $3,950 contract for tree removal.
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