Mark Beauregard

Rangeley Town Manager Joe Roach updated the Selectmen about the Fund Balance account at their September 6, 2022 meeting.  At the April 20, 2021 Rangeley Board of Selectmen’s meeting a draft Federal Compliance Audit revealed that some Airport Project expenditure money that the Treasurer paid from the Fund Balance account would not be coming back to the Town.  The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) later informed Joe Roach that the $746,066.00 the Town paid for change order invoices would not be eligible for grant funding.
The Airport Runway Extension Project that started in October of 2018 and had a ribbon cutting ceremony in the fall of 2019 was 100% funded by a Federal Omnibus Grant.  There was a specified date of September 20, 2020 for amending the grant with the change order information.  Neither the airport’s Consulting Engineer Guy Rouelle of Dubois and King nor Rangeley Treasurer/Airport Manager Rebekah Carmichael filed the change orders with the FAA within the allotted timeframe.
The Maine Department of Transportation has assumed a 5% share of the Airport Project costs and has issued a check for $610,829.00 to the Town of Rangeley.  This check has been deposited into the Fund Balance account.
The FAA has converted Rangeley’s annual Airport Improvement Funds for this year into a grant in the amount of $135,237.50.  This grant will reimburse the Town for FAA’s share of change order numbers 3 and 4.  When this grant money is received it will be applied to the Fund Balance account.  The sum total of these two payments equal $746,066.00 thereby making the Town’s Fund Balance account whole again.  In an August 29th memo to the Selectmen the Town Manager stated that his office spent approximately 100 hours working on this situation.  The end result of the Town Manager’s efforts is that the nearly three-quarter million dollar recovery will prevent having to re-raise that amount through taxation.
The Selectmen were introduced via Zoom to Consultant Wastewater Superintendent Nick Archer from Waterford, Maine.  Nick was hired after the resignation of the Town’s previous Wastewater Superintendent Keith Savage.  The Town no longer has a license for land applied septic and neighboring communities have been notified.  The Anson/Madison Wastewater Facility will receive our area’s septic for the foreseeable future.  Nick informed the Selectmen that the Maine Department of Environmental Protection will be sampling the Rangeley site as part of their statewide analysis.
The Selectmen authorized the Town Manager to enter into an agreement with Wright-Pierce Engineering to create a Master Plan for the Oquossoc Town Park at a cost of $11,500.00.  The Selectmen and Town Manager agreed that this was an appropriate step in helping the community determine the future of the park.
The Selectmen voted to approve an updated Planning Fee Schedule.  This schedule includes fees for solar panels and bulk energy storage.  The fee for energy projects up to 0.5 megawatts (MW) is $500.00, 0.5MW to 2.5MW is $2,000.00 and over 2.5MW is $5,000.00.  These rates became effective as of September 6, 2022.
The Town Manager informed the Board that crack sealing on Town roads has been completed for this year.
The Selectmen have scheduled a workshop on October 3rd for Chapter 38, Rangeley Zoning Ordinance.  The workshop will include Town Attorney Kristen Collins so that the Selectmen can go over their concerns and chart a path forward.
One response was received on a Request For Proposals (RFP) for Rangeley Town Park swim dock improvements.  BMC Diving of Rangeley submitted a proposal for their modified version of Option #1.  The BMC Diving proposal would replace the top four layers of the structure as well as the deck and skirting at a cost of $101,506.78. A majority of the Selectmen support a permanent dock but tabled action on this item while the Town Manager gathers information on the cost of a seasonal floating dock alternative.
The Town Manager signed a revocable license with a fiber optic contractor to store materials on Frenchie’s Way (the Chick Hill Wastewater Treatment Plant road).  The installation of fiber optic cables to provide high speed internet service to Rangeley and surrounding Plantations is about to begin.
The next Rangeley Board of Selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for September 19, 2022 at 6:00pm.

“A democracy is healthiest when the public is informed about the activities of leaders of industry and occupants of public office.” -Melvin Melcher

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