NORWAY — Voters agreed Thursday evening to increase the amount of money authorized at a December 2015 town meeting from $100,000 to $111,849 for a sewer project that went overbudget.

On Dec. 3, 2015, voters unanimously agreed to fund a $100,000 project to replace failing sewer pipes crossing Pennesseewassee Stream.

Town Manager David Holt said the pipes near Aubuchon Hardware on Route 26 were about 50 years old and were supposed to run over the streambed but had been sinking and causing problems.

Holt said the actual project, which was completed earlier in the year, came in “slightly under the cost we originally thought it would.”

“It was about $9,000 under,” Holt said. “However, we decided to do an environmental study to look at the future of the sewer system and how it’s affected by expected global warming. That increased us by $20,000.”

Holt said that the $20,000 is, in effect, a grant offered by the state, but the way Maine is setting it up is a “principal forgiveness” program.

“We have to vote to borrow the money, and then the state will forgive it,” Holt added.

“It was upsetting to me when (Pine Tree Engineering) told me it was over budget,” Holt said. “I had told the select board that the project went smoothly and came in under the anticipated cost. I later found out that the $20,000 put us over. I thought that money was separate from the whole project, but it wasn’t.”

mdaigle@sunmediagroup.net

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