A sign signals a road closure at the top of Route 26/Bear River Road after the December flooding. Rose Lincoln/Bethel Citizen
NEWRY — “Every single road we have, just shy of 14 miles, did sustain some damages,” said Newry Road Commissioner Joelle Corey.
“We had some catastrophic losses in town for private property owners. Two homes: one is gone on the Sunday River side. The other one on the Bear River side had [its] foundation washed out from under the house.”
“A year-round home, primary residence,” said Corey when asked about the one on the Sunday River side.
“Just a young fellow, too.” said Select Board Chair Gary Wight.
“Brand new little family,” added Corey at a select board meeting held Jan. 16 in town office.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has not declared Newry as a disaster. It will be the end of February before they hear about that declaration, Corey said.
“Cross Excavation did a miraculous job of getting us put back so we could safely travel our roads. Sunday River from the covered bridge all the way up through to Nordic Knoll needed work … .
“Sunday River Branch Road just got annihilated. They did a great job of putting that back together,” said Corey who added that the town’s damages are listed and have been submitted.
She said while Branch Road bridge sustained a great deal of water, it is fairly sound. Another bridge did sustain abutment damage and the repair will be part of their substantial spring road work.
Select Board Member Tink Conkright said the fire department rescued five people during the December storm.
Artist’s Bridge
Town Manager Loretta Powers said they will not be taking any requests for weddings on the covered bridge because the water went over it during the storm.
“We don’t want that liability,” said Deputy Clerk Amy Henley.
“A big washout on the north side of it,” added Corey.
Transfer Station
Corey had done some research in November about the town opening its own transfer station. Currently, Newry, Hanover and Bethel use a tri-town site in Bethel.
She looked at the only two potential sites in Newry with a minimum of two acres per Department of Environmental Protection standards.
Gary Wright said the state may not allow them to have their own transfer station because they are in close proximity to the tri-town site.
In response to a question about having their own contractor pricing, Corey said if the pricing [at the Bethel Transfer station] is not universal, the contractors will claim the waste is coming from a town with lower or no pricing. “What they need is a scale [at the Bethel Transfer Station]. They [the tri-town committee members] don’t see the value in that. If they looked at Norway and Oxford and how those scales pay for themselves,” said Corey.
They agreed to start with a letter to the landowner to see if a town-owned transfer station is even an option.
Cemetery fees
The Black Family Cemetery was added to the updated cemetery ordinance. They discussed its gravesite fees being too low with a rise in caretaking costs. A fee for a single grave is $50 for residents, $100 for non-residents; four graves cost $200 for residents and $400 for non-residents; eight graves cost $300 for residents and $600 for non-residents.
“Dad and Mum bought theirs for $20,” said Powers.
Head of the Tide and Powers cemeteries have space.
They voted to double the rates of the price schedule for gravesites.
Other business
Rick Nelson was appointed to the Appeals Board. It has two more open seats.
They appointed Alan Fleet as the Fire Chief.
A $264,000 bid was the only bid to repair Simonds Brook Bridge. The bid came from CMP Constructors. At last year’s town meeting residents approved $200,00. The board moved to accept the bid and will ask for the additional funding at the 2024 town meeting.
The board approved moving the road study estimate into the budget for approval at this year’s town meeting. The cost will be split between Sunday River and Newry.
A few changes to the employees handbook were made including adding Juneteenth, Wed. June 19, a federal holiday in exchange for a birthday day off.
Powers said because there are so few requests for camp scholarships, they should consider giving each Newry high school graduate $500 instead. It will need voter approval at town meeting.
Henley said they have 34 unlicensed dogs in town. 56 are now registered. There is a $25. late fee if they are not registered by the end of January.
Henley said, “people unknowingly have changed their political party.” She said people are standing outside of grocery stores and pharmacies with what looks like a petition that people are signing. “There is a three-month wait period. They are not able to change [back in time] and therefore cannot vote in the primary. The clerks are in an uproar over it.”
Henley said she contacted two legislators to make them aware of what was happening. “Just be cautious of what you’re signing,” she said.
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