WILTON — Selectpersons Tuesday, Nov. 19, approved keeping the established process of winter cleaning of public parking lots. 

“The Parking Ordinance states the board will approve annual plowing of the town’s three public downtown parking lots,” said Town Manager Rhonda Irish.  

The lots are located on Canal Street behind the Bass-Wilson building, on High Street and on Main Street behind Wilton Hardware, known as the Wilson Stream Parking Lot.  

Overnight parking is not allowed in the Canal Street parking lot, so plowing can be done at night, Irish said. 

“The High Street and Wilson Stream lots tend to have vehicles in them overnight,” she said. “When we get to a point where we need to do a complete clean up of the lot, I print notices and give them to Ken Sprague, who is in charge of the apartments downtown. He gives one to each of the tenants to ask them to move their vehicles on the day that we agree on. They usually go in at 7 or 8 in the morning and plow it so residents can go back in there. 

“We thought we would continue to do that because it has worked for the last two or three years. I just need that approved by you.” 

The board unanimously agreed. 

In his quarterly report to the board, John Masse said two new employees had been added to the crew.  

“We are getting ready for winter,” he said. 

Sand piles have been put up at the town office and transfer station for residents, he said. 

Residents are permitted to take no more than four 5-gallon pails per day for private use, Irish said during a phone interview following the meeting. Commercial use of sand is not permitted.  

Delivery of the town’s new loader was expected to take place Friday, Nov. 22, she said. 

Irish also informed the board the final bill for cleanup of the former Forster Mill manufacturing site had been received and paid. She said she was working with Ransom Consulting Engineers and Scientists from Portland to put together the necessary paperwork to send to Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments and to Maine Department of Environmental Protection so grant funds could be released.  

The town was awarded $250,000 in grants and $250,000 in loans this year to complete demolition of the mill. 

The final bill came in with no additional charges, Irish said.  

Irish also said someone had been in contact with her about the steel building still standing on the site.  

“They said they would be willing to take it down, remove it and the contents, at no charge to the town,” she said. “If you think you want to put it out to bid to remove, we need to take a look inside.” 

Chairman Keith Swett noted the mill’s boiler door, which has significant historical value, was stored in the building. 

“If we give permission for someone to take everything, they are going to take everything,” he said. “We don’t want it to disappear. “

Selectperson Tiffany Maiuri said the door was stored inside so it would not rust. She suggested getting a cost estimate to seal the door so it would not rust.  

Code Enforcement Officer Charlie Lavin said coating the door would make it more difficult to restore, if that is what the town decided to do with it in the future. He suggested a better plan would be to figure out what would be done with the door and then figure out how to preserve it.  

“I will put it on the next agenda for you to decide what you want to do,” Irish said.  

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