BETHEL — Select board member Meryl Kelly proposed, and the board approved, a land use ad-hoc committee at the March 15 select board meeting held at the town office. “After the last meeting, and many meetings before that, it was very evident that whatever we did at Ethel Bisbee needed to be a community-driven effort,” she said.

The former elementary school on Philbrook Road will be demolished this spring. No plans have been made for the future of the property.

“What I would like to put into motion today is the creation of an ad-hoc committee that would work toward the creation of a score card so that if we were to put the property out for proposals we have something concrete for people to look at,” said Kelly.

She gave examples of two scorecard options and opined that a weighted scorecard would work best. She’d like to see a vision for the Ethel Bisbee lot by the annual town meeting in 2024.

Kelly said she would begin advertising for the nine committee members on March 16. “I would like to see a varied grouping of people,” she said.

Residents should leave a letter of interest at town office by April 5. The term for a member would be from the April 5 deadline until April 5, 2024.

The Bisbee ad-hoc committee will be chosen by the select board on April 5. Members, Lori Swain, Lloyd Sweetser, and Patricia McCartney were in attendance along with Kelly and Town Manager Natalie Andrews and Assistant Town Manager Amy Hanscom. Selectman, Frank Del Duca was absent. About 12 people sat in the audience.

Following the vote, resident Rebecca Zicarelli asked if the salvage would be available from the demolition. She also asked if they [Cross Excavation] could [grass] seed the property. Zicarelli suggested they could have the skating rink next winter, too, if the town was still in the planning process for the lot. “I would think her request is in line,” said a Cross Excavation representative sitting in the back of the room.

Health officer

The town’s local board of health officer has not signed in or collected a stipend since being appointed. A Maine law allows municipal officers to appoint someone in the event of incapacity or absence. Code Enforcement Officer Randy Thurston was newly appointed. “Sarah Berry was the one that was appointed,” said Swain.

Andrews said, “He [Thurston] will not be collecting a stipend this will just be assigned to him as one of his duties.”

A resident asked what the health officer’s role and responsibility would be.

A directive from federal or state would be disseminated at the local level by the person in the position. They would also investigate public health complaints, explained Andrews.

Other business

The board accepted the donation of a microscope for the Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Andrews said The Wheeler Insurance 5K in June will follow the same route as before through town. The county will add an extra deputy.

The power has been shut off at the Ethel Bisbee in preparation of the upcoming demolition.

An interview was held March 16 for a Waste Water Treatment Plant superintendent position.

The Recreation Department is advertising for a lacrosse coach. Spring ball is underway. The Mahoosuc Kids swim program and the track and field program are hoping to expand.

Onboarding began for Becky Michaud, assistant town clerk, at the town office.

Andrews said her six-month probation has ended and she would like to discuss a performance development plan.

Three bids for a snow blower were brought forth by Public Works Director Scott Sumner who gave the specifications of each machine. In the end they chose HP Fairfield, RPM Tech 217 t4 for $126,720.

The machines they rejected were the Sonocrete 948 for $159,884 and the Larue D40 for $185, 735.

“We’ve been limiting the use of the machine we have now due to it’s age … we try not to do anymore than what we have to do with it,” said Sumner.

They approved the liquor license for Butcher Burger and also approved the marijuana store operating permit renewal for Cryptids, LLC.

 

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