MECHANIC FALLS — The Town Council on Monday accepted a $2,016 donation to the summer recreation program from the group who attempted to establish a dog park.

Town Manager Koriene Low told councilmen that promoters of the dog park concluded they didn’t have the capacity to continue the project and decided to give the money to the recreation program, which needs affordable bus transportation for field trips.

For the past several years, the summer recreation program, like its counterpart in Poland, had relied on using school buses for field trips. This year, however, Regional School Unit 16 officials said the rates they had been charging were too low, and the time, complexity and expense involved in devising a contractual agreements would cost too much.

Low said it appeared an arrangement with Hudson Bus of Lewiston could be worked out. Between the donation from the dog park supporters and money left from last summer, the program would probably be able to conduct two field trips a week.

The council also met with Eriks Petersons, historical society spokesperson, for an update on the society’s activities. Petersons said the society is still trying to find a computer program that meets its needs for documenting its collection.

A fundraising dinner is being planned for the spring and tentative plans are being made to hold a yard sale in late August or early September at Firemen’s Field, he said.

“But our biggest need is people,” Petersons said. “If we could get 10 new members, we could be pretty effective.”

Councilor Lou Annance said the Revenue Enhancement Committee is still investigating the feasibility of setting up a solar farm on town property, possibly at the transfer station and the area around the Pigeon Hill Reservoir. He said it is working with two firms, ReVision Energy and Garbo-Kane.

Low noted that the electric bill for all town buildings is about $64,000 a year and the solar farm has the potential to lower that cost.

Annance said it could be extended to allow townspeople to buy into the project.

In other business, the council:

• authorized Low to enter into an agreement with the Maine Department of Transportation and Poland to pay for electricity to run traffic lights proposed for Five Corners;

• agreed to add insurance coverage for road salt contamination to private water supplies resulting from plowing/sanding operations;

• approved Tyrian Lodge’s request to hold a cribbage tournament as a fundraiser to help support its Books for Bikes program;

• approved a new one-year lease for the Before & After School Program to operate at the old Head Start building in the municipal complex, with the program paying the electric bill; and

• approved a liquor license renewal for Egg-ceptional Restaurant.