MINOT — Selectmen on Monday night agreed to let the Minot Historical Society become stewards of the William Ladd property on Center Minot Hill Road.

Selectmen will send a letter to the society stating that agreement.

Ladd was a distinguished resident of the town from the early 1800s.

At the Jan 15 selectmen meeting discussion arose because the trail managed by the Moonshiners Club has been rerouted across the property because of ditching and culverts positioned alongside Center Minot Hill Road impacting the crossing over to Jackson Hill Road. The club believed snowmobiles crossing from the Ladd property would be a safer route.

Selectmen acknowledged the Moonshiners Club to be good custodians of the trail and deemed the Minot Historical Society could oversee the property.

A walking trail and a scenic floral garden could result in further use of the Ladd property, as well as keeping the snowmobile trail. No ATV traffic would be allowed.

In another matter, Regional School Unit 16 Superintendent Ken Healey and school board Chairwoman Mary Martin presented a budget overview to selectmen.

Healey said the district negotiated salary contracts with teachers and support staff personnel that includes 5% increases.

The state has required that the minimum teacher starting salary of $40,000 to be phased in over three years, starting with the 2020-21 school year.

Healey said the salary increase should attract more people to apply for the educational technician positions.

He also said the amount of state subsidy to the district will be released next week, however the district will be “asking for an increase” in tax revenue. “To what degree, we don’t know,” he said.

Martin said department heads will be asked to “minimize or flat line” their budget requests for the upcoming year, and the fund balance should be able to be used to lessen the tax impact as well.

In other business, selectmen approved Town Administrator Danielle Loring’s suggestion to move the start time for the March 7 town meting from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The reason, she said, is because Town Clerk Sara Farris needs to attend the Androscoggin County Republican Party Caucus at Lewiston Middle School at 9 a.m.

Selectmen appointed James Crouse to the RSU 16 School Committee to succeed Julie Rioux who resigned in December. Crouse will serve until town elections March 6. He has filed nomination papers.

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