LISBON — The town will receive $1 million from the federal government to replace Burrough Road bridge, Town Manager Glenn Michalowski announced at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting.

“Good news, we got a million bucks and we don’t have to buy a bridge,” he said.

The bridge was damaged during a storm in May 2023 and the town constructed a temporary one.

Town officials reached out to U.S. Rep. Jared Golden’s office last year to request federal funds to fix the bridge but officials were not certain if the town would receive the money. Voters approved a referendum last fall to allow the town to borrow $650,000 to build a bridge and fix the road.

The town manager hopes to place the project out to bid soon for construction to start in July, Michalowski said. The town will not move forward with the $650,000 bond. He said he is unsure at this time if the town can use those federal funds to reimburse itself for costs to construct the temporary bridge.

In other business, councilors approved $125,000 from the Sewer Department’s committed fund balance to replace the sludge-dewatering centrifuge.

The project was approved almost two years ago, Sewer Superintendent Steve Aievoli said. It was estimated to cost $2 million then. After receiving a $1.3 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, the town set aside $700,000 of its own for the project.

Engineering and design for the project was completed last fall and bid requests were sent in December.

During Tuesday’s meeting, councilors awarded the project to T. Buck Construction of Turner, which bid the lowest at $1.68 million, Olver Associates’ civil engineer Mandy Holway said.

Other bids included Apex Construction Inc., $1.79 million; Penta Corp., $1.8 million; and Facility Construction Services, $2.03 million.

The old centrifuge has been in use for 21 years, which is about the useful life of wastewater equipment, she said. The replacement will save the town money in operation and disposal costs.

Aievoli described the situation as a “ticking time bomb,” leaving the town with no backup options if the equipment should fail, he said. The project has remained a high priority.

“This is still at the very top of the list because if the current equipment were to go down on us we’d have nothing else,” he said. “So, to get the ball rolling on this project would really benefit us.”

The additional $125,000 approved Tuesday will allow the town to fully fund the project, along with additional funding for the Main Street sewer replacement project and the Davis Street pump station project, according to Aievoli.

Later in the meeting, councilors unanimously approved proposed changes to the personnel policy that impact pay increases, vacation payouts and illness policy.

The town will move away from a longevity-based pay increase system toward a rewards merit system, Michalowski said. It is a decision to promote a more performance-oriented culture, to which Chairman Harry Moore Jr. stated his support.

The town will also stop vacation payouts for unearned leave, Michalowski said. Instead, that pay will be prorated when an employee leaves. The changes also eliminate the sick bank policy to be replaced with a more comprehensive approach to employee benefits in alignment with the new Family Paid Leave Act next year.

Toward the end of the meeting, councilors also appointed Linda Berube to a three-year term on the Board of Appeals. Berube fills one of the four vacant positions on the board. In addition to the three current members, a fourth member creates a quorum.

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