DIXFIELD – Clayton McKay and Fremont Tibbetts believe next month’s annual town meeting will be another very long one, at least as long as last year’s that didn’t end until well after midnight.

They appeared before Dixfield selectmen Monday night to request that an article be placed in the town meeting warrant that would allow residents to adjourn the annual event if it goes beyond 8 or 9 p.m., then reconvene on the following Saturday or another night.

“This will be a long meeting. Stuff will have to be cut, and older people should count. We need these old people here,” Tibbetts said.

Both McKay and Tibbetts believe the downturn in the economy, as well as the length of last year’s meeting, will lead to a very long meeting.

“Toward the end of the meeting, discussion waned. I’d hate to lose a good half (of the attendees) again,” he said.

Selectmen had already rejected a request by the men last month to move the annual event to a Saturday.

Because of that action, Town Manager Eugene Skibitsky said the two should circulate a petition requesting that the May 28 meeting be adjourned and reconvened.

He said the signatures of at least 105 Dixfield voters must be gathered, then turned in to the town office by May 14.

In other town meeting/budget-related matters, the board set 5 p.m. May 4 as a last chance for selectmen to review and possibly revise the proposed municipal budget that will go before voters May 28.

The board approved a budget last week of $1,928,694. At Monday’s meeting, they reduced that figure by another $7,644, resulting in a budget of $1,921,060, which is about $19,000 above the adopted 2008-09 municipal budget.

In other matters, a public hearing was held on the town’s plan to apply for a loan/grant from United States Rural Development and a loan from the Maine Municipal Bond Bank to finance the replacement of town’s forced sewer main pipe.

Engineers estimated a cost of about $130,000 for the replacement, which will be needed when the Maine Department of Transportation replaces the Webb River Bridge later this year.

In a related matter, the board approved becoming a customer of the Rumford-Mexico Sewerage District, rather than become a member of the utility.

During the past, Dixfield has contracted with the Mexico Sewer Department.


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