Board: Mechanic Falls Town Council

Met: Monday night

Central Office taxes

Issue: Poland has asked Mechanic Falls to pay a share of the taxes on the Union 29 Central Office building.

Scoop: The School Committee signed an agreement when the new Union 29 Central Office building was constructed committing the town to pay its portion of the property taxes. While Poland didn’t bill the town – or Minot – for their share of taxes until this year, Mechanic Falls was recently billed $2,308. The council questioned whether as a municipality the town should pay a property tax bill but agreed that the bill should be honored because of the agreement the town signed.

Up next: Because towns can’t be required to pay property taxes, Poland officials are revising the agreement to read that the town will make a payment in lieu of taxes.

Playground equipment

Issue: Equipment in the playground located behind the Municipal Building complex is worn out.

Scoop: Councilors, learning that they had to order new equipment before Nov. 28 in order to secure GameTime’s Better Fitness Through Play Grant Initiative approved using $15,641 from the municipal reserve account to make the purchase. Once received, the grant money will be deposited in the municipal reserve account. The net cost to the town will be just over $7,000.

Cable rate increases

Scoop: Town Manager John Hawley reported that Time Warner Cable has notified the town that cable rates will be going up effective Jan. 1. The amount of each customer’s increase will depend on individual package plans. The most expensive package option will increase about $8.70 per month.

– Winslow Durgin