By Kenneth Roberts,Special to the Sun Journal

TURNER – About 25 residents at a special town meeting Monday voted to spend $84,000 for improvements to the Boofy Quimby Memorial Center in North Turner.

The community will apply for a $100,000 Community Development Block Grant for the project, which is to be completed within the next year. Approval of the town’s commitment for the matching funds was a prerequisite to applying for the block grant.

Handicapped-accessible bathrooms, a new entrance, and an addition to the popular community center would be assured with the combined funds.

Action taken by selectmen at a regular board meeting after the town meeting included setting priorities for discussion with Gov. John Baldacci at a regional forum. Selectmen and managers from Turner, Leeds, Greene, Livermore, Livermore Falls and Wayne have been invited to the meeting, which would allow officials bring their concern to the governor. State senators and representatives have also been invited to the forum, which will be held at the Leeds Town Office at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13.

Turner and the other town officials hope to discuss issues surrounding workers’ compensation for volunteers, regionalization, taxes, highways, planning, general assistance, revenue forecasts and stocking of Allen Pond.

Selectmen also said they would have on their Monday, Dec. 19, agenda an item to discuss the reappointment of Fire Chief Steven A. Fish. Last June, the board decided to notify Fish that it intended “not to reappoint” him to the position he had held for about 10 years. Fire Department members raised a storm of protest.

Then on Sept. 7, selectmen voted 2-1, with two abstaining, to “postpone the decision to reappoint the chief for three months with the expectation that the chief will work with both Fire and Rescue to work out existing problems.” That vote came after hours of closed-door wrangling by legal counsel for Fish and the town.

Monday night, Assistant Chief Shane Arsenault asked the board “when action would be taken on reappointing the fire chief.”

Selectman Lawrence House said he didn’t know what action could be taken because the board had no information on action since September.

Town Manager James Catlin said he had not received any negative reports since September but has been advised that Fish and the rescue department have arranged for joint communications training and were working on other issues. He said now that the three months are up he would put the subject on the next meeting’s agenda if that was what the board wanted. The board informally agreed that it was.

The annual town meeting is set for April 8, with voting on April 7. Selectmen are seeking suggestions for the dedication of the town report.

Compensation for Mike Gotto, who has been working for nearly two years with the town’s planning and zoning committees, will be presented to the Budget Committee and to town meeting for approval. Gotto has indicated he seeks $65 per hour for his technical work and $55 an hour for his staff time. He is not charging the town for the time spent at meetings.

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