CANTON – Hartford selectmen attended a joint meeting Monday night with the Anasagunticook Dam Core Committee to discuss a lake operations agreement.

Scotty Gilbreath was the only Canton selectman there but said he felt that board would go along with the revised document.

Voters in both towns still must approve it at town meetings.

The interlocal agreement is for the operation and management of the lake, which the towns share.

Chairman Malcolm Ray said that after reviewing the cost estimates on three dam options, he leans more toward repairing the existing dam.

Costs to build a new dam rose from $600,000 to $860,000 due to concern over stability issues, Ray said. He said the engineers were estimating wider concrete sills than originally planned.

Ray said rehabilitating the old dam is more attractive because it would be possible to use a fairly new stainless steel gate in the dam and more use could be made of volunteer labor and local companies. He thinks costs would be around $290,000 for engineering design and $200,000 using volunteers and local companies.

Ray also sees the repair taking three years. The first year would see the left embankment rebuilt. The second phase would be working on the gates, using the four original ones and a possible fifth. The third phase would be constructing a spillway.

Work would depend on Maine Emergency Management Agency approval.

Ray wants to start work on the temporary dam in mid May. He’s asking for volunteers. Judy Hamilton of Hartford agreed to serve as volunteer contact. Her e-mail is [email protected].

Ray also needs hemlock and I-beams for the job.