The Board of Selectmen began Monday, October 21, 2019 with a public hearing to discuss acquisition of real property. There is a purchase and sale agreement between the Inhabitants of the Town of Rangeley and Luke Brochu to purchase real estate located at 10 Depot Street (current leased parking area). The total purchase price would be $250,000 which is $100,000 in excess of the professional appraisal of the lands value of $150,000 in today’s market given by James Eastlack of Morton and Furbish. A Town Meeting will need to be held so the legislative body, the registered voters, can vote for or against the purchase.

Adjustments to the agenda included a Q&A session concerning solar array, a request from the Fire Chief that the Board authorize sale of the heavy rescue unit, a notice that a recent law increased motor vehicle registration municipal agent fees and discussion concerning estimates for Lanza lot clean up cost.

There was another conversation regarding a solar array at the treatment plant and/or airport. Three companies were sent an invitation to be in attendance at the meeting to provide answers to any lingering question so the Board could feel confident in a path forward. With different models of ownership and Maine’s solar incentives the Town is in a good position to offer large areas of land that companies are vying to get in on. The solar committee and the Board of Selectmen continue to work towards the best options for cost savings for the Town.

Consent items for the evening began with a seven thousand six hundred seventeen dollar and fifty-seven cent ($7,617.57) expense authorized from the sewer reserve account to replace the bubbler level control system in pump stations two, three and four with submersible transducers. By motion of Selectman Shaffer the Board approved a blanket letter, of indefinite timeframe, for the Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club’s casino night. The Town Manager would be authorized to sign the annual winter road maintenance contract between the Town of Rangeley and Dallas Plantation. The fire department request to sell the heavy rescue unit was authorized and the Board voted in support of the increased motor vehicle registration agent fees, from three dollars ($3) to five dollars ($5) for renewals and from four dollars ($4) to six dollars ($6) for new registrations.

Old business saw a vote to schedule a public hearing for borrowing road funds and acquisition of real property on December 16, 2019 at 5pm in preparation for the special town meeting they scheduled for Wednesday, January 8,2019. Don’t worry I’ll mention that Special Town Meeting date again at the end of the article! The final order of old business was to discuss the timeline and estimates for cleanup of the Lanza parcel. The projected cost per Tom Lillis, Code Enforcement Officer is $29,563.36 which the Lanza’s will be responsible for paying back and cleanup will begin on November 4th with the removal of snowmobile and ATV parts/non-operational machines and cleaning out parts from the white trailer.

Department head updates were submitted by the Police Chief, the Fire Chief, and the Code Enforcement Officer.

The next regularly scheduled Board of Selectman meeting will be held November 4, 2019 at 6:00 pm, election day is November 5, 2019 and the polls are open from 8am to 8pm. A public hearing has been scheduled for December 16, 2019 at 5pm and a Special Town Meeting to vote on road funds and real estate purchase has been scheduled for January 8, 2019 polls to be open 8am to 8pm.

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