NORWAY — Selectmen gave a tentative go-ahead Thursday to allow Town Manager David Holt to pursue the first of what may be multiple attempts to share services with businesses and other towns.

The board agreed to let Holt develop a tentative arrangement with Norway Savings Bank to have it remove the town building on Danforth Street, formerly the residence of Hebert Roberts, and develop additional parking spaces for both the town offices and the bank. The bank would pay all costs.

The move would not only save the town about $35,000 the board put aside to renovate the building, it would remove it and develop parking at no cost to the town.

“There are some fairly significant changes looming,” Holt told the board of the town’s future inability to raise enough revenue to pay for the needs of the town. “We’re going to be forced to look at new approaches to things.”

Holt has also recommended that Norway officials meet with Paris officials on Feb. 15 to discuss what services the two towns might combine in the future.

He said he has already approached Paris Town Manager Phil Tarr with the idea of combining the code enforcement officer’s job in the future after Norway Code Enforcement Officer Jeff Van Decker retires this spring.

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Holt also said that in the future, as other town officers retire, such as the assessor, the towns might look at combining other positions as well.

Both boards are scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Paris Fire Station to discuss the renewal of the NPC-TV franchise agreement. The boards could take up the discussion of shared services after that meeting, Holt said.

Meanwhile, Holt said he will begin the process of developing a tentative agreement with the bank for the Roberts property. It will be presented to selectmen and then to annual town meeting voters, if the board and bank agree to pursue the plan.

The town purchased the Roberts property in 2001 for $75,000 with the idea of eventually expanding its parking next to the town offices.

The site had been considered for a Norway Police Department building, but selectmen said Thursday that they do not feel the town has the money to build one now.

“In these times, in the near future, I don’t see that we have the means to do anything (with the property),” Selectman Russ Newcomb said.

ldixon@sunjournal.com


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