OXFORD — The Oxford Board of Selectmen agreed Thursday night to reduce a $36,000 impact fee to $1,000 for a resident who plans to open a laundromat at 339 Main St.

“Most towns are charging around $500 for an impact fee,” Steve Roderick told the board. “Norway charges a $500 for hookup. Paris is $650. Portland is zero and South Portland is $1,000. And Oxford is $36,000.”

Roderick also questioned how water units are assigned.

He said households on average use 320 to 400 gallons a day. If all 18 washers were used in the day, he added, they would only require about 465 gallons.

Each washing machines is being assessed as two units each instead of one, which Roderick said would cost him another $12,000 a year.

Zhenya Schevchenko, superintendent of the Waste Water Treatment Facility, said the impact fee covers the cost for the treatment system. The ordinance was written long ago and never reviewed. The water usage fee is for operating the plant.

Schevchenko estimated the laundromat would add about 20% to plant operations.

Roderick said on an annual basis, the water usage fee is comparable to other towns. He asked that the impact fee be waived and that the assignment of units to each washing machine be changed from two to one.

The board agreed to reduce the impact fee and review the ordinance. Town Manager Butch Asselin told Roderick the issue of the number of units per machine would have to be considered at a future meeting.

In Asselin’s town manager’s report he requested funds to pay for a survey for town land so it can be promoted as a business park. Pins need to be set at a cost of $2,700 and would be covered from Oxford’s Walmart TIF/Economic Development Fund 15-01-20-15. He also requested using up to $17,000 from the same fund to amend the Route 26 TIF district. Both requests were approved.

Other business

In other matters, selectmen agreed to reduce from 179 to 100 the number of signatures required for nonprofits to apply for funding from the town, approved the renewal of the Honey Badger Bar & Grill’s liquor license and approved the renewal of Oxford Auto Salvage’s junkyard permit. The Board granted Asselin permission to apply for a grant through Efficiency Maine and The Nature Conservancy to change interior and exterior lighting at the Public Safety Building to LED.

A vote to assign pay increase percentages for town employees was tabled until the next meeting. One selectperson was absent and two abstained from voting on the issue.

Asselin also reported that discussions are starting about the process of moving the Town Office to the Public Safety Building on Route 26. Potential future use for the current building includes conversion to apartments. Asselin plans to hire a professional planner to advise on the projects.

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