LIVERMORE FALLS — Selectmen voted Tuesday to move forward with purchasing land on state Route 106 to build a one-bay fire substation in East Livermore village.
The decision comes nearly three years after voters in November 2020 approved the project, thinking they had authorized borrowing money for it but never did legally.
The land purchase from Peter Morse of Livermore Falls meets a requirement of a 2020 citizens’ petition that the substation be within a mile of the intersection of state routes 106 and 133. Town Manager Carrie Castonguay, who was hired eight weeks ago, drove the road and determined the property is seven-tenths of a mile from the intersection.
The board voted April 5, 2022 to buy Morse’s property and sent him a check last year for $12,000, which was cashed, but the board never pursued a purchase and sales agreement for the land or a deed.
On Tuesday, selectmen directed Castonguay to complete a purchase and sales agreement and a deed, and record the documents at the Androscoggin County Registry of Deeds in Auburn.
They also voted to have Main-Land Development Consultants of Livermore Falls follow through with the contract to set boundary pins and provide the description of the lot.
Selectmen also voted to authorize Castonguay to draft a design build request for proposals for the substation for their approval and to put a bond to borrow money for the station on the warrant for a town vote in April 2024.
The board also voted Tuesday to rescind its April 2022 vote to buy Morse’s property and a Sept. 7, 2021, vote to swap a piece of town-foreclosed land at the intersection for a piece owned by Charles Barker of Leeds, two lots away on state Route 106. The town’s attorney told the board that the foreclosed property could not be used until 2025 because of deed restrictions.
Selectmen and many residents thought the November 2020 vote to secure a location and construct the substation meant everything was in place to begin the project. Legal counsel had approved the wording of the article prior to the vote.
However, there was no treasury note attached to the article legally allowing the town to borrow money, only a note with the wording of the petition authorizing the board to enter into a lease purchase or finance agreement for up to $400,000 over 20 years.
A couple of residents of East Livermore expressed their frustration Tuesday night over the situation.
Sheila Scanlan, who resigned from the substation committee Tuesday night, said she was concerned that after three years with nothing to show for it, except a cashed check and no deed or purchase and sales agreement, that voters will vote no on borrowing money because they thought it was already approved.
She said the committee, which includes two selectmen, two firefighters and herself, didn’t meet as often as she thought they should have over the past three years.
“I am confused, I am upset, I am tired of fighting,” she said.
Castonguay said even if the wording of the petition was in the warrant article, it still wouldn’t have allowed the town to borrow money. She said she is trying to make it legal to get the money to build.
“If you didn’t know the problem existed, you can’t fix something you don’t know about,” Selectman Ernie Souther said. “Now that is known, you can’t ignore it. You have to fix what is incorrect.”
“I don’t think it’s anybody’s fault,” East Livermore resident Trudy Bishop said. “I think it was an error amongst everybody. But the frustration is we’re not going to get a substation.”
Board Vice Chairman William Kenniston, who lives in East Livermore, said he would help get the word out about the vote.
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