Audit, MCF presentation and incubator lease on Greenville agenda

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    GREENVILLE — The Greenville Board of Selectmen will hear a presentation from the Maine Community Foundation, a review of the town’s annual audit and discuss terms of a lease on the vacant incubator building at their April 16 meeting.
    The session gets underway at 6:30 p.m. in the municipal building.

    The Maine Community Foundation manages a variety of funds for public purposes, including two education funds for the town of Greenville. At Town Manager John Simko’s request, the MCF has prepared a proposal for management of the town’s Crafts-Sheridan Education Fund.
    Liana Kingsbury, the MCP senior foundation officer, will be at Wednesday’s meeting to review their proposal and answer questions. Simko will recommend that the board authorize the treasurer to transfer these funds to the MCF to seek a higher return on investment.
    Auditor Greg Chabot from RKO of South Portland will also be present to review the annual audit for the financial year ending June 30, 2013 with town and school officials, and to answer any questions. 
    At the March 19 board meeting, selectmen directed Simko to work with Steve Levesque from the Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation (MLREDC) to devise a master lease for tenants in the Greenville business incubator.
    According to terms of the agreement, MLREDC will lease the property from the town for five years and share “50 percent of any net sub-lease proceeds with the town.”
    If the selectmen are agreeable to the terms, the board may authorize the town manager to execute this document with the MLREDC.
    One liquor license renewal is on the agenda for Trailside Restaurant and the town manager, police chief and code enforcement officer all recommend approval.
    There is an application for appointment to the Appeals Board by Steve Mason and a request from the Moosehead Sanitary District to appoint Mason to fill the open position vacated by Tracy Lord until the June 2014 municipal elections.
    The board has also asked Simko to contact the Maine Department of Transportation about the current plans and long-term plans for improvements to the Lily Bay Road.
    Mark Hume, Region 3 engineer for the MDOT, has provided details and has offered to meet with the board and town manager to discuss this further.
    Finally, the town recently received a letter of resignation from public works foreman Jim Abele.  He wants to step down from his supervisory position, but would like to remain as a per diem operator and laborer. 
    Simko said that Abele “has worked hard this winter and oversaw a significant overhaul in how we maintain our winter roads, with favorable results. Jim has agreed to stay on-board until a replacement is hired.”
    The  position will be posted and Simko would like to have a selectman on the hiring committee.