Greenville board finalizes equipment purchase, elects Peat as chairman

Staff Report

    GREENVILLE — The Greenville Board of Selectmen approved the purchase of a mini-loader that can be used as a sidewalk plow and heavy-duty mower at their June 25 meeting and elected Richard Peat as chairman of the five-member board.
    Peat, who has served since 2010, succeeds Bonnie DuBien who lost her bid for reelection. Craig Watt was elected as vice chairman.

    The equipment purchase was approved at the annual town meeting, but selectmen asked Public Works Foreman Mark Bernier and Town manager John Simko to evaluate several brands before making their recommendations.
    Eight different pieces of equipment were considered and selectmen picked a Wacker-Neuson WL30 mini-loader at a cost of $74,938. The board also voted unanimously to trade a forklift owned by the town but rarely used toward the purchase and sell a 1984 model snowblower by competitive bid.
    Greenville selectmen also heard a presentation from Dr. Ken Woodbury on the Shaw Public Library connector building project. At a later late, a lease agreement for the space needed for construction will have to be drafted and executed, according to minutes of the meeting, but no action was taken by the board at last week’s meeting.
    The connector building will link the old library to the Vernon and Barbara Davis Memorial Annex which opened in 2010. The annex has a children’s library, kitchen, office space, handicapped-accessible rest rooms and a community meeting room.
    The total cost of the project is estimated at $197,000, but a lot of the cost will be offset by grants and donations including $50,000 from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation.
    The board also approved a request from the Natural Resources Education Center (NREC) to place an old building from Medawisla Sporting Camps on the town-owned site next to the MDOT rest area on Route 15. The site is also next to the Moosehead Lake Region Chamber of Commerce visitors’ center.
    The board unanimously approved the liquor license renewal for the Lodge at Moosehead; reappointed Alicia Kronholm to a three-year term on the recreation committee; and agreed to have the town manager hire a per-diem front office clerk to assist the current staff when needed.
    Simko explained that the plan is to hire someone who will normally work 12 hours per week at the front counter and up to five weeks at 40 hours per week to cover vacations for the regular employees.
    Peat suggested that the town’s official records should reflect the current board’s thanks to former selectmen DuBien and Bruce Hanson for their years of service to the town. Simko agreed to draft a letter of appreciation for the current board’s signature.
    Following an executive session, the board awarded a Crafts-Sheridan Scholarship to Sierra Murray for continuation of her nursing studies at Husson University in the amount of $1,000 per semester for the 2014-15 academic year.