DIXFIELD – A new contract for the
Mexico Sewer District to provide services for the town of Dixfield
has been delayed until mid-July to give the lawyer representing the
sewer trustees time to determine whether such discussions can be held
in private.
The three-person Board of Trustees and its
lawyer, Paul Dumas of Mexico, met with the Dixfield Board of Selectmen on Wednesday with the idea of discussing a new contract.
However, Dumas said he wanted to discuss the matter in private.
Dixfield Board of Selectman Chairwoman Bettina
Martin said the meeting was public; Town Manager Eugene Skibitsky
said on Friday that he didn’t believe the discussions had to be held
in private.
Ann Young, a Mexico Sewer District
trustee, deferred questions to Dumas. He could not be reached Friday.
The current 30-year contract with the
Mexico Sewer District expired in June 2008. Steps were not taken
to devise a new one until the state announced replacement of the Webb
River Bridge which connects Dixfield and Mexico. The Dixfield sewer
main is attached to the existing bridge and must be replaced when the
new bridge is built sometime next year.
Skibitsky said the Maine Department of
Transportation wants an agreement to be reached between the two towns by
Aug. 4.
He said Dixfield is responsible for
paying for the new sewer-force main on the bridge and, under the
expired contract, for the repair and maintenance of about 300
feet of sewer main on the Mexico side as far as the Peru/Mexico
bridge. From there to the sewer plant, Dixfield has been responsible
for paying 30 percent of the line’s repair and maintenance.
Skibitsky said he saw no reason for
the town to hire a lawyer to conduct service negotiations.
The next meeting of the selectmen and
sewer trustees will likely be held on July 13 or 14.
In other business, the board agreed to begin the
process for the establishment of a major equipment reserve account
for the fire company.
Fire Chief Scott Dennett suggested that
money left over from this fiscal year’s fire company account, up to
$7,500, be used to set up the account. Residents must approve the
account at a town meeting.
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