By Kenneth Roberts,Special to the Sun Journal

TURNER – Town and school district officials have expressed an interest in sharing a new building for town and SAD 52 offices.

A tentative date of Dec. 13 has been set for a meeting with the Town Office Building Committee and representatives of the school district

Both Town Manager James Catlin and Superintendent Thomas Hanson and their respective boards agree that there is merit in a joint approach as the town actively pursues a new site for its town offices.

When Hanson read that the town was soliciting suggestions from landowners for a site, he asked for and received permission from school directors to contact Catlin and see if there would be interest in having the school district involved.

At Monday’s meeting, Catlin told selectmen he had been contacted by Hanson, and requested and was given permission to work with the school district in the site search and building planning. Catlin and selectmen commented that cost savings for taxpayers might be realized with the town and school administrative offices located in the same building.

Catlin reported that the town has received four offers for land for the new facility, with more expected before the end of the month’s deadline. Turner town meetings the past few years have appropriated money, which have been drawing interest, and the new town office account currently exceeds $282,600.

In other action, grants for several town projects received much discussion with just one positive result. Selectmen voted 3-1 to pursue a grant from the Maine Library for Geographic Information Board for new software to upgrade the town’s geographic imaging capacity. That grant would be for $10,000, with the town already committed to spending $8,105 should it receive the grant.

Further discussion, with no action taken, concerned the town’s interest in pursuit of grants for an addition and accessibility upgrades at the Boofy Quimby Memorial Center; a sidewalk in the area of the elementary, alternative, and high schools; repair of the Nezinscot River dam; and construction of a boat landing and park area at the current site of the town office.

Catlin said revenues are coming in according to schedule, and the town’s financial picture seems to be “right on target.” He noted that high energy costs loom on the horizon and that he has discussed with area town managers what they might be doing to reduce those winter expenses.

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