Next steps taken in business park and Safe Streets projects
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
MILO — Throughout most of the year numerous measures have been taken to make the Eastern Piscataquis Business Park operational and carry out numerous improvements to the downtown. During a selectmen’s meeting on Nov. 5 town officials learned of the latest steps in both projects.
Town Manager David Maynard said a 20-foot wide easement along the access road into the park will allow for utilities to be run in. He said a cost of $22,794 will enable Bangor Hydro to install underground electrical wires to serve park establishments — the selectmen signed such an agreement on Nov. 5. Maynard said a party has expressed interest in a park parcel if such work is carried out.
“The turn lane is not affected, this is strictly along the access road,” he said. Maynard said the turning lane off Route 11 to the park is planned for the larger Route 11 construction project for 2014.
Down Park Street is the Safe Streets project along West Main Street and adjacent areas. Maynard said the first phase of the project has been completed, and now conduits and underground wiring are in.
“The poles that are on the bases are temporary because one of the factories that manufactures the poles we ordered went to China,” he said. He said per the project grant stipulations, materials used need to be ordered from American-based companies.
“We will get our light poles, as I understand the earliest is in February and the latest is Memorial Day,” Maynard said. He said the subcontractor provided the temporary light poles at no charge, to ensure lighting over the winter for the downtown area.
Located in downtown Milo is the Heritage Building, and at the mid-October select meeting news was revealed that Tammy Trask of New Beginnings Residential Care and Assisted Living was looking to file a letter of intent for a CDBG grant to place an adult day care facility in the open side of the Heritage Building. Maynard said the grant program’s funds have all been expended for 2013 so Trask would need to apply again for 2014 monies.
“Her project and the opportunity to be the new occupant in the Heritage Building is still available, but it has to wait until the new year,” Maynard said.
In other business, the selectmen scheduled a special town meeting for Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the town hall to consider financing a fire rescue truck. “The proposal is for a used rescue truck in good condition,” Maynard said, as the plan calls to then sell the fire department’s existing vehicle.
Several members of the Milo Fire Department are traveling to Alabama — their trip was authorized by the selectmen — to look at a rescue truck at a dealership that sells various emergency responder vehicles. “This company will ship the truck up to Milo and take a check back with them,” Town Treasurer Robin Larson said, adding the business deals with small towns across the country.
In October the selectmen authorized Maynard to turn the community building in Derby back to either the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad or Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railroad, depending on a review of the deed by the town attorney.
Maynard said 20 boxes of town records have been removed from the community center and will now be housed underneath the stage in the town hall’s Ed Wingler Auditorium.
Ensuing discussion centered around the various possibilities to see if the building could be sold and/or what needs to be done in case the town remains in control of the center for the winter months.
During the correspondence portion of the meeting, the select looked at a letter from Kevin Black in which he stated he is resigning from the budget committee immediately. The selectmen voted to accept the resignation with regret.