MEXICO — Selectmen approved hiring a new Recreation Department director Tuesday night without discussion.

They also accepted an offer for a tax-acquired Yanush Drive property and approved work estimates for roof replacement for the Recreation Building and a contractor to reconstruct and pave Backkingdom Road.

Mabel Merrill of the Recreation Committee recommended the town hire Wayne Sevigny.

“He seems to be what the board wants and is willing to put in the time, knowing that it’s only going to be paid for 20 hours, so he’s probably going to have to put in more hours of his time, and he’s willing to do so,” Merrill said.

“Was that unanimous by that committee?” Vice Chairman Reggie Arsenault asked.

“Yes,” Merrill said of Monday’s committee vote to recommend Sevigny, who didn’t attend the meeting.

Selectmen then approved Sevigny by a 3-0 vote.

Selectman Byron Ouellette spoke of having met Sevigny and his wife, who will be helping him, and then commended Merrill, saying Sevigny “is a very good choice.”

But just when rollerskating is allowed to happen again at the Recreation Center is up to Sevigny, Merrill said when asked by Arsenault.

In her report to the board, Merrill said the recent professional wrestling match event was so successful, that two more have been scheduled: in October and November.

Additionally, committee member Todd Wardwell has been removing the old pylons at the Recreation Park because they are “unsightly” and have hornet nests in them, Merrill said.

They will be replaced with signs.

In other business, the board voted 3-0 to:

* Sell the Yanush Drive property to Joseph Patneaude for $7,500 after two attempts at advertising the property failed to produce any bids. When asked what he intends to do with it, Patneaude said he plans to fix it up. “It looks like it needs a lot of love,” he said.

* Accept a bid of $10,285 to fix the Recreation Center roof. “The sealant on the seams is starting to crack and water’s getting in,” Town Manager John Madigan said.

* Hire C. H. Stevenson to start reconstruction work on the last mile of Backkingdom Road and work back toward town. The middle and front sections will be done next year and the entire road paved, Madigan said. The town could save $45,000 if its highway department does the loaming and seeding, he said.

The board also agreed to hire Sue Milligan of Rumford as the acting animal control officer while Mexico’s ACO, Anne Simmons-Edmunds, is unavailable.

Simmons-Edmunds is a Dixfield police officer who is attending the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro, Madigan said.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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