OTISFIELD — The Road Study Committee has told selectmen it will recommend annual town meeting voters approve a $1.73 million bond to reconstruct five roads in town.
The request is $76,000 more than announced at a public hearing last month but includes funds to top-coat Powhatan Road.
In April, the Road Study Committee unveiled its plan to request a $1.65 million five-year bond to repair segments of Powhatan, Rayville, Bell Hill, Peaco and Gore roads over a two-year period. If approved, that bond would have had an estimated tax impact of an additional $102 per $100,000 of property value.
Selectmen Len Adler and Hal Ferguson both expressed concern at the public hearing in April about the impact of the bond on taxpayers.
The impact of the additional $76,000 bond increase on the mill rate was to be reviewed by John E. O’Donnell & Associates of New Gloucester.
Road Study Committee member Quentin Henderson told selectmen Wednesday that if voters do not approve the bond, they will be asked to OK an annual appropriation of $408,000 to be added to Road Commissioner Richard Bean Sr.’s $180,000 road budget. That money will be used to complete Powhatan Road from Forest Edwards Road to Route 121.
This year’s annual town meeting warrant is expected to bring out voters who will be asked to vote on the town’s first road bond, accept a revised cell tower ordinance and other issues. A budget hearing will take place June 11.
Voters will decide on the bond at the annual town meeting Saturday, June 27.
If the $1.7 million bond is approved, the first-year plan is to rehabilitate 1.37 miles of Powhatan Road from Forrest Edwards to Route 121 and to rehabilitate Rayville Road from near Route 121 to Hidden Lake Road — a total of 1.43 miles.
In the second year, the money would be used for rehabilitating 1.77 miles of Bell Hill Road from East Swampville Road to the Old Town House; 0.98 miles of Peaco Road from Rayville Road to Bell Hill Road and Gore Road near Bonney Hill Road, a total of of 0.53 miles.
Board members say the hope is that taxpayers will continue to support five-year bonds so the roads can be improved on a sustainable basis.
The Road Study Committee has been studying the town’s 47 miles of roads for about six years. The work included a review by Bean, the road commissioner.
ldixon@sunmediagroup.net
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