RUMFORD – Selectmen have agreed to accept the River Valley Arts Initiative under their nonprofit wing and to retain the two-hour parking maximum downtown.
During a three-hour meeting Thursday night, followed by a closed session to discuss unsafe buildings and possible land acquisition, Town Manager Steve Eldridge said the arts committee is at a crossroads and needs to look for funding.
“The Maine College of Arts is interested, and the arts committee is looking to redo an upper floor of the former bag mill. If it is recognized as an arm of the town, they can apply for Community Development Block Grant money and other funding,” he said.
Eventually, he said, the arts committee would become a nonprofit.
In a related matter, he said a series of arts events are scheduled over the next few months in the Municipal Auditorium beginning with a performance by the Franklin County Fiddlers as a Hurricane Katrina fund-raiser on Nov. 20. Also planned are performances by a Franklin County classical music group in January and by the Theater at Monmouth in February.
On the parking issue, Selectman Greg Buccina suggested that the two-hour time limit in much of the downtown area be expanded to three hours so area visitors wouldn’t have to be concerned about getting a ticket. He said he’d received several calls on the matter.
His motion to change the time died for a lack of a second.
Other selectmen said all-day parking is available in several parts of town. They also agreed that clearer signs alerting motorists to long-term parking spaces should be posted.
In response to several proposals submitted by the Finance Committee, the board agreed to add information to the annual town warrant that shows the original amount of money a department requests, followed by the selectmen’s recommendation and the Finance Committee’s recommendation, along with the vote.
The board also agreed to place requests for new equipment in separate articles from the department requesting the item. Future replacement of such equipment, such as a new bucket loader or police cruiser, would then become a part of the department’s overall budget.
In other matters, selectmen:
• Took no action on a request from landlord Ernie Robichaud to create overnight parking for tenants during the winter.
• Agreed to be notified whenever an inmate is released on furlough into the town.
• Awarded the contract for building an office space for the code enforcement officer in a section of the former basement conference room to Belanger Builders at a cost of $1,783. Selectman Mark Belanger owns the business. His was the lowest of two bids.
• Agreed to rebid a request for a vehicle for the town manager. Only one bid was submitted.
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