RUMFORD — Selectmen will continue work to develop a wind power ordinance at their board meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 17, in Rumford Falls Auditorium.
They will also again discuss creating a shadow flicker standard and decommissioning plan, two facets that were tabled at the meeting March 3 due mostly to a lack of draft language.
The board will also discuss regionalization efforts, something Selectman Jeremy Volkernick asked on March 3 to discuss at Thursday’s meeting.
Town Manager Carlo Puiia said last Friday that he believes savings can be found through regionalizing with area towns.
“We do believe there are some savings that can be had,” Puiia said. “It all depends on the cooperation of the other towns.”
He said Rumford currently has a proposal before Mexico to combine police departments.
“They’re reviewing it, but there hasn’t really been enough discussion to see if they are in favor of it,” he said. “They have a lot to discuss and we respect that.”
Puiia said there are stumbling blocks, however, to overcome when contemplating merging fire departments, “because we have a full-time Fire Department and they pay into the Maine State Retirement System.”
“However, having a full-time Fire Department helps the other towns that don’t,” he said.
“They benefit from our department, but it makes it very difficult for other towns wanting to consolidate because they would share some of that cost and they’re trying to understand that.”
“And we’re all in the same boat in that we’re struggling to maintain budgets in a very uncertain atmosphere,” Puiia said.
“The economic crisis doesn’t seem to improve, it seems to worsen and that makes it difficult.”
Other agenda items include:
* A request from the River Valley Growth Council to use town property for hiking trails.
* The health officer’s request to authorize use of Medical Reserve Corps.
* Two municipal quitclaim deeds, one for 721 Spring Ave.; the other for 33 Urquhart St.
* Lifting the municipal winter parking ban unless there is a snowstorm.
A public hearing on changing the two-way section of York Street to a one-way stretch will precede the meeting at 6 p.m.
Selectmen are expected to then decide the matter in their board meeting that follows.
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