TURNER-Selectmen have signed onto an agreement with the H.E. Callahan Construction Co. of Auburn for the drafting of plans and development of total project costs for a new town office.

The new office would be built at the site of the current office, on the bank of the Nezinscot River at the intersection of Routes 4 and 117.

The preliminary design plans will be developed for the town for a sum not to exceed $12,500, and the town will own the plans when completed, Randy Murray of the Town Office Committee said. Discussions with town office staff will begin immediately to determine specific needs.

Officials will answer questions and discuss the plans’ progress and options at meetings on Tuesday, Dec. 5 and Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. at the town office.

Murray and Mike Gotto, also of the committee, said that at some point a public hearing on the town office plans will be conducted, and that a total project cost figure will be ready to present at a town meeting.

Callahan’s fee for the design/build project will be 8 percent of the total cost. The company will conduct all the bidding on the more than 37 specific jobs involved in the project. It is free to bid on as many of those jobs as it feels qualified to perform. All bid openings will be public.

The board learned from the state’s Property Tax Division of Maine Revenue Services that the town’s proposed valuation for 2007 is $418,350,000, an increase of $40,450,000 over the 2006 state valuation. The board has 45 days after receiving the information to appeal the valuation, but members saw the increase as average for other towns in the county, especially Greene and Leeds, the other two towns in SAD 52.

The state valuations represent the full equalized value of all taxable property in a community as of April 1, 2005. The valuations are used for all computations required by law to determine financial aid to municipalities, for instance, state education subsidies.

In other business, the board gave Town Manager James Catlin approval to check local used-vehicle dealers, as well as auctions, to find a pickup truck replacement for the highway department’s vehicle that just “seized up.” Catlin was authorized to spend up to $10,000 for a four-wheel drive pickup with the money coming out of the highway reserve account.

Selectmen appointed Mary Briggs on an interim basis to the town Budget Committee, replacing Charlie Mock, who was elected to the Board of Selectmen. Briggs will serve until town meeting, when she will be free to seek the position, or not.

Joan Ricker was re-appointed, and Jean Morris and Garrick Grant were appointed to the Leavitt Institute Board of Directors.

The town office boiler, noisy and troubled, will get $150 worth of immediate attention.

Catlin discussed two proposals he has received for a security camera system for the new town office, and said he is working with another firm that hopes to submit a proposal.

Selectmen learned that legal action against Daniel Richardson of Route 4 has been set for trial on Dec. 29. He is alleged to be operating an auto junkyard not in compliance with town codes.

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