RUMFORD – Town Manager Len Greaney would like to resolve a long-standing beaver problem for residents of the western end of Prospect Avenue before Wednesday, June 10. That’s when new Town Manager Carlo Puiia takes over Rumford’s leadership role.

Previous town managers have failed in stopping the beavers from repeatedly flooding a small wetland between the Androscoggin River and Sunnyside Terrace. The standing water creates proliferating mosquito populations that threaten to become public health hazards, according to residents.

“It’s a problem that needs work,” Greaney said Tuesday morning in the town office.

Last year, the beavers dammed a snowmobile bridge and the water backed up under Route 2 through a 4-foot-wide culvert into the wetland and stayed there.

Greaney sought and got permission to have the dam removed last fall, but apparently only a small section was taken down, he said.

“I wish they’d have knocked it all down,” he said, so the beavers couldn’t just fill in the breach within a short span of time.

Currently, water is flowing through that dam. However, there’s another blockage of some type between the dam and Route 2, keeping water backed up into the wetland and 1 feet deep in the culvert.

“Someone with wading boots on or in a small rowboat needs to go in to remove the blockage,” Greaney said.

The other problem lies with a state-installed culvert fence that was intended to prevent beavers from swimming through the culvert to access the wetland.

However, the weight of winter ice two years ago partially bent the fence down, allowing the mammals to come and go as they please.

Greaney said one such beaver “flaunted” that ability recently, when he went out one last time to try and determine how to resolve the problems. He said that right after he got out of his car to check the water level, a beaver swam by right in front of him.

“The little devil,” Greaney said. “It was like he was smiling and taunting me.”

Greaney said he’d like to have the town crew build and install a new improvised culvert fence allowing water to drain through, but preventing beaver access.

He will present the problems and possible remedies at the Board of Selectmen meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 4, in the municipal building auditorium.

Among other agenda items, are:

• Possibly giving the River Valley Technology Center Board of Directors $25,000 to $30,000 of economic development money, with the caveat that they work with selectmen to sustain economic development at the center.

• A request from resident Eddie Shurtleff to display Revolutionary War flags on town memorials.

• Scheduling a public hearing and special town meeting to properly deal with a flood plain ordinance amendment.

• Approving the renaming of the football field at the Hosmer Field Complex.

• Approving a traffic line-painting bid.

• Figuring out a stormwater drainage method to resolve town road flooding problems in the Swift River Park housing development off Route 120. The estimated 2,500 feet of roads serve 40 homes.

Additionally, there are two executive sessions scheduled – one to deal with a personnel matter with the town manager and town attorney; the other involves contract negotiations with municipal officials.