BOARD: Lewiston City Council MET: Tuesday night

Road postings

ISSUE: Annual freezing and thawing makes the city’s paved roads buckle and contract, so city leaders regularly ban heavy trucks from certain roads beginning in March.

THE SCOOP: Vehicles weighing more than 23,000 pounds in gross weight will be banned from portions of the following streets: Ferry Road, River Road, Dyer Road, Pinewoods Road, Gayton Road, Webster Road, Merrill Road, Sleeper Road, Randall Road, Grove Street, Old Greene Road, No Name Pond Road, and Pond Road.

UP NEXT: The ban lasts from March 1 through May 1.

More parking time on Lowell Street

ISSUE: Owners of That’s A Wrap Deli and Pub complained that day-long parking restrictions on Lowell Street in front of their shop hurt business and asked for changes.

THE SCOOP: Councilors agreed to open parking there from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Patrons can park on the street for 60 minutes during business hours.

Parking limits on Towle Street

ISSUE: People who live on Towle Street, between Holland and Elm streets, complain their road is too narrow to allow regular on-street parking even though city code allows it.

THE SCOOP: Police looked over city code and found a typographical error that allowed the parking. Councilors Tuesday fixed that error, banning on-street parking on the narrow street.

Parking fees to rise

ISSUE: The city sells books of parking stamps for downtown businesses to give to patrons parking in city garages. The city increased other parking fees in 2004, but failed to increase the price for those books.

THE SCOOP: Councilors voted to bring those costs in line, increasing the fee from $45 for a book of 100 to $67.50.

Lewiston PD gets drug-bust money

ISSUE: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency shares the proceeds of money from drug busts with the other police agencies involved. In Lewiston’s case, that money is put into a special account to help pay for drug enforcement actions.

THE SCOOP: Councilors Tuesday accepted proceeds from three drug arrests last year. The money amounts to portions of about $6,000 in the sale of property and seizures.

Liquor licenses

ISSUE: Local restaurants and bars must reapply for liquor licenses and amusement permits each year. Liquor licenses let them serve alcohol; amusement permits let them play music, have a DJ or karaoke, or have games on site.

The scoop: Councilors approved special amusement permits for the Barnie’s Bar and Grill at 1065 Sabattus St., and the Grid Iron Restaurant and Sports Pub, 1567 Lisbon St.

Contact government reporter Scott Taylor via phone at 689-2846 or via E-mail at [email protected]