POLAND — The town will pay tribute to the late Fred Huntress with a memorial bench to be placed in the center of the village.
The Select Board committed $5,500 to the endeavor at Tuesday night’s meeting.
In addition, Selectperson Stephen Robinson said the town’s Conservation Commission plans to add a bronze plaque and plant a white oak honoring Huntress, an acclaimed Maine forester who served in that capacity for the town from 1964 until his passing in November 2023.
Robinson pointed out that Huntress had also served the town in many branches of government, including the Planning Board, Select Board, Board of Appeals, Conservation Commission and the Trail Committee.
No date was set for the memorial ceremony.
In other business, Town Manager Matt Garside told the board a transformer was installed connecting the ReVision solar panels to the Central Maine Power electrical grid, enabling town municipal facilities to use solar energy.
How much the town will save will be known in several months.
Deputy Town Manager Nikki Pratt said no notice was given when the state’s reimbursement check of $88,000 from the short-lived Property Tax Stabilization Program arrived, accounting for only 56% of $156,000 due to the town. Garside and Pratt said the missing $68,000 affects this year’s revenue.
The Select Board approved seeking proposals for two ambulances for the Fire Rescue Department. Garside said vendors advised it will take three years to deliver them. Once the bids are accepted the town will be responsible for 50% of the cost upfront, with the balance paid upon delivery.
Garside said the town has applied for $50,000 from the Community Action Grant for the A.B. Ricker Library to help defray heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system costs.
The Select Board approved the purchase of a new copier for the library for $6,693 from A-Copi of Gardiner.
Pratt told selectpersons new rules associated with election and primary ballot options are available on the town’s website.
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