Greenville selectmen will seek proposal to develop business incubator

Staff Report

    GREENVILLE — The Greenville Board of Selectmen voted at their Jan. 15 meeting to request a formal proposal from the Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation (MLREDC) for use of the vacant business incubator building in the town’s industrial park.
    The MLRDC met with selectmen and Town Manager John Simko on Jan. 10 and offered their services to market the building.

    The 11,200 square-foot building became vacant when Pepin Associates scaled back its operation last June and moved its equipment into another smaller building in the park. The incubator was built in 2004 and includes a loading dock, receiving area, three-phase power and warehouse space.
    While residents gave the town permission to sell the building if they wished to, Simko said that that since a large portion of the construction funds came from grants with specific job-creation requirement. So the town could be on the hook for about $175,000 “if it was put in private hands.”
    Informally, the four selectmen at the workshop expressed interest in requesting a plan from the MLREDC for re-use of the building. But since it was a workshop, a formal vote couldn’t be taken. So it was placed on Wednesday’s agenda and passed 4-0. Selectman Craig Watt was absent from the meeting.
    The annual town report was also on the meeting agenda as Simko recapped how the schedule for town report preparation and distribution changed three years ago to try to capture both the end of the fiscal year and a completed audit for that year.
    However, the change resulted in confusion by the public, especially at the annual town meeting. With another town report due soon, Simko asked the board for input on how to proceed.
    Selectmen agreed by consensus to request one town report this year, which will cover the past 18 months of activity. There will actually be two annual reports in one book, with the final year to include the June town meeting warrant.
    In his report to the board, Simko said that like every other town in Maine, the recent spell of wild weather took its toll on the public works crew. Two days of ice plus three days of rain “made is nearly impossible to keep sand on the road,” Simko told the board. In addition, catch basins were clogged with ice and the frozen snowbanks held the water in. The town manager said that the winter roads budget is still sufficient to make it through the rest of the season.
    The Maine Secretary of State’s office has declined the town’s offer to host a satellite office for drivers’ licensing. Selectmen sent a letter to the state in October, offering the town’s services so that residents don’t have to travel to Jackman, Dover-Foxcroft or Bangor for the service.
    On the good news front, the town began the month of December with less than $1,000 in the Citizens Fuel Assistance Fund to help needy people with emergency heating needs.
    After several public pleas and letters to the media, the town ended the same month with $9,038. Simko said he was delighted with the response, and much of the money could be used up in the next few months, depending on how cold it gets.