Government at a glance

Board: Turner Selectmen

Met: March 3

Keys in hand

Scoop: The new town hall building is almost ready for occupation. Town officials had a final meeting with the contractors, inspected the new building and found it “to be in order,” Town Manager Eva Leavitt said. She has the keys to the new building; however, relocation likely won’t happen until late April because several projects need to be finished. Among them is expansion of the security system, landscaping and purchase of furniture.

Up next: A warrant article asking for $20,000 to accomplish all three projects will be included during the April 5 annual town meeting.

Water level

Issue: There is concern in town about the Nezinscot River’s water level. With plenty of snow already on the ground, residents and municipal officials alike worry that heavy rain could result in flooding. Selectmen talked to Emergency Management Agency Director Ross Gagne about possibly opening the dam to lower the water level at the Main Street.

Up next: Gagne, who lives nearby, inspects the dam every day on his way to work. If the water level rises to a threatening level, he will make a decision about opening the flood gate, Leavitt said.

Lost mail

Issue: Some of the town’s February mail never arrived, and nobody at the post office seems to know how much was lost or when it happened. Town officials learned of the vanished correspondence when overdue notices from several vendors and contractors started to arrive.

The scoop: Turner does not have a box at the side of the road; instead, all of its mail is collected at the post office. Municipal assistant Nikki Verrill contacted the post office but found no answer as to how the loss happened. Bills are one thing, Leavitt said, but general correspondence from residents is another. “The problem is that we don’t get notices on letters and other mail,” she said, “so we don’t know what else we were supposed to get but didn’t.”

Up next: Anyone who sent a letter or inquiry to the town and who hasn’t received a reply should contact Leavitt or another department head to make sure the letter was received.

More snow, more damage

The scoop: More than a dozen structures have collapsed due to excessive snow loading. Among them are several barns, sheds, mobile homes, an indoor riding arena and a small airplane hangar – and more reports of damage come in almost daily, Leavitt said. Rooftop snow and ice have been removed from town buildings, including the Boofy Quimby Memorial Center, the Village Fire Station and rescue barn and public works garage. Additionally, selectmen hired people to clear snow from the balconies at the Leavitt Institute building.

Warrant finalized – sort of

The scoop: Selectmen reviewed and gave preliminary approval to the 73-item warrant that will be presented to voters during the annual town meeting on April 5. However, Planning Board members yet may make several changes to the document before it is finalized.

Radar trailer

The scoop: Pedal-mashers, beware. A radar gun-equipped trailer owned by the Maine Department of Transportation will be set up on local roads for the first two weeks of April. Each summer the MDOT lends its radar trailer to municipalities in two-week blocks, hoping to remind motorists to pay attention to speed limits. Among the trailer’s likely destinations are North Parish Road and Lower Street, according to selectmen Monday night.

For municipal news items, contact JT Leonard at 252-6040 or at [email protected].