GREENE – “Tabled for next meeting” echoed through the basement of the town hall as selectmen found themselves uncertain about a new state-of-the-art command post and a road-maintenance bidding battle between two contractors.

The Androscoggin Unified Emergency Management Agency addressed the board in hopes that the town would house one of Maine’s four new mobile Multi-Agency Response Vehicles at its fire station. The command center is capable of receiving satellite feed and of reading 12 different radio frequencies.

EMA Director Joanne Potvin said Greene was selected as a storage site because of its long history of cooperative efforts with public safety entities throughout Androscoggin County.

“We hear how other municipalities like working with the Greene Fire Department,” Potvin said, adding that the town’s central location to the rest of the county was an added bonus.

Assuming all criteria are met, the MARV would be available to all public safety agencies in and around Androscoggin County. It is designed to provide communication access for large-scale, long-duration incidents.

The mobile unit was acquired by Homeland Security supplemental grant money and will be maintained and operated by the Androscoggin Sheriff’s Department. Personnel will be trained in the unit’s various capabilities.

If the town signed off on the proposal it would be responsible for housing the unit and for providing trained back-up transportation personnel through the Greene Volunteer Fire Department.

The board unanimously decided that Town Manager Stephen Eldridge and Fire Chief Bruce Tufts would review EMA’s proposal and make a decision thereafter.

Road repair

In other business, the board decided that it needed more time to consider road repair options.

With tight budget restrictions, the town is looking at paving parts of Patten Road, Barrel Shop Road, North River Road, and if possible, two parts of College Road.

The two contractors considered for the bid are Lewiston-based companies, Commercial Paving and RC & Son Paving Co. Selectmen did not disclose estimated costs because what the town can afford to have done is still uncertain. A decision will be made at the June 14 meeting.