FARMINGTON – Selectmen met Tuesday night to discuss the town’s pandemic influenza plan.
The plan, which is being developed on local, as well as county, state and federal levels, is nearing completion and will be presented to selectmen soon, according to Town Manager Richard Davis.
All department heads within Farmington’s local government have developed a plan to allow their department to continue to function if the town suffered a pandemic, either from the avian flu or some other form of influenza. The departmental plans will be merged to form a single pandemic influenza plan that will also be based upon the Franklin County Health Network’s existing plan. According to Davis, Farmington’s plan will allow it to function with “a smaller staff, reduced hours and will use alternate methods of service delivery, if necessary.”
In other business, selectmen considered a request by residents of Cherrywood Lane.
Richard Paul, speaking on behalf of Cherrywood Lane Abutters For Road Grading, said that a highway project completed by the state has adversely affected their road. Paul said that the raising of the highway causes an increased amount of water to be diverted down Cherrywood Lane, which is north of downtown Farmington on routes 4 and 27. The lane is a private drive not maintained by the town.
This water has been “raising havoc with the road,” according to Paul, who blames the highway project for a problem that “wasn’t there before.” The Cherrywood Lane abutters requested that selectmen use the town’s road grader to create a crown on the road to reduce runoff damage.
Using the road grader on a private lane would require the approval of voters at a town meeting.
Selectman Dennis Pike agreed with the Cherrywood Lane abutters, saying he would support adding their request to the warrant of the next town meeting. Other members of the board were worried that the request, if granted, would lead to requests for maintenance from the residents of other private roads.
Selectman Mark Cayer suggested that the board and town manager send a letter to the Maine Department of Transportation, seeking state funds to fix the problem, which residents say was caused by the state-funded highway project. The motion to send a letter carried unanimously.
The board also awarded the bid for the new recycling building to replace the previous structure that was damaged by wind. The bid was awarded to Irishspan Industries Inc. for $37,000. The town will only bear $1,900 of the cost, with the rest being paid by the insurance company that covered the old building. The money paid by the town will come out of the Public Works Reserve Account.
The board also approved the application of Fred O. Smith II to the Zoning Committee, and Joshua Bell to the Budget Committee. Both men will fill empty seats on these committees for three-year terms.
The July 25 selectmen’s meeting will be canceled due to the absence of Town Manager Richard Davis. The board will meet next on Aug. 8.
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