Agreement drawn up for Hartford turnaround

HARTFORD — Hartford selectmen met with the town attorney earlier this week to hammer out the details to allow various vehicles to use a private turnaround, Chair Lee Holman said.

She said the Thursday, Dec. 3, Hartford selectmen’s meeting was quiet except for this topic.

“The one big piece of action was we did approve the selectmen meeting with the town’s attorney to draw up an easement for (the) Camp Road turnaround,” Holman said, adding the board was to meet with the attorney Tuesday morning.

The turnaround in question is on property owned by Paul Bernier, who put up the homemade barricade at the end of August, preventing a Regional School Unit 10 school bus from turning around in his circular driveway. He cited multiple orders of protection between himself, his niece, her husband and their children as the reason for doing so.

The town has worried about emergency vehicles and snowplows not being able to use the turnaround. A short time after Bernier erected the barricade, he allowed the town to use the old turnaround, which is also on his property. Holman hopes the easement is something all parties can agree upon before the snow flies.

“If it turns out to be something he objects to, we’ll work it (out),” she said of Bernier. “It sounds like he’s ready to work with us. My big issue, whatever we agree on, I would like it be permanent and irrevocable.”

Holman and Road Commissioner Alan “Bim” McNeil indicated this isn’t the first time Bernier has prevented vehicles from turning around on his property. Bernier previously said he had an agreement with the town to use his turnaround in the past, but it had since expired.

Holman added that under the new easement, Bernier will be protected under the Maine Tort Claims Act and “he won’t have any liability should anything happen.”

“We’re going to put in writing and so we’ll be on the up and up,” she said.

The easement will be addressed at a future selectmen’s meeting.

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