Board: Mechanic Falls Council

Met: Monday

Revenue shortfall

The scoop: Town Manager John Hawley reported he anticipates a $40,000 shortfall in revenues programmed into the town budget. Automobile excise tax revenues are already down $21,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, and interest rates on town accounts are expected to generate $9,000 less than anticipated.

Up next: A memo to town employees encourages department heads to limit overtime and defer purchases and all employees to take common sense cost-paring measures. Hawley said that in the spring the council may have to consider furlough days in order to avoid calling for a special town meeting to make up the shortfall.

Pay raises

The scoop: The council agreed to grant 2 percent pay raises for all town employees for six months beginning in July and in December it will decide whether to modify that amount for the last six months of the fiscal year, depending on town finances.

Liquor law enforcement

Issue: Maine has cut back on enforcement of liquor laws, passing responsibilities over to municipal law enforcement, however Mechanic Falls’ ordinances do not give the town police department that authority.

The scoop: The council reviewed an ordinance that would give Mechanic Falls police authority to conduct routine unannounced inspections of places where liquor is sold or consumed.

Up next: The council will hold a public hearing on the proposed ordinance at its regular Feb. 2 meeting at 7 p.m. in the municipal office building.

Paris fire

The scoop: The council received a letter from Paris thanking the town for the mutual aid it provided for the December fire at New England Public Warehouse Logistics. Hawley noted that the Mechanic Falls Fire Department had two pieces of equipment, a ladder truck and a pumper at the two-day fire and that Mechanic Falls volunteers contributed 312 man-hours to the effort. The total cost of Mechanic Falls mutual aid was about $8,500.

Adult ed lease

The scoop: The council approved a new three-year lease with Regional School Unit 16 allowing the Adult Education program serving Mechanic Falls, Minot and Poland to use the third floor of the municipal building.

Congregational Church

The scoop: Members of the Congregational Church voted to donate their building and land on Elm Street to the town for use by the Mechanic Falls Historical Society, however, to date, a deed for the property cannot be located and searches of files in Androscoggin and Cumberland counties have turned up no record of transfer. The council authorized the town’s attorney to prepare paperwork so that a deed may be conveyed, with the understanding that money from the disbanded congregation will cover expenses.

– Winslow Durgin