Selectmen handle mostly routine business at Oct. 7 meeting

Staff Report
    GUILFORD — The Guilford Board of Selectmen had a rather routine agenda for their Oct. 7 meeting with only a few items requiring action or approval.
    The board received a letter from the Municipal Review Committee explaining their ongoing plans following the Department of Environmental Protection’s denial of their landfill permit.
    The letter reiterated that operating the Penobscot Energy Recovery Company plant in Orrington will not be feasible beyond 2018, and stated that they are seeking alternative solutions for solid waste disposal.
    However, a proposed landfill in the town of Argyle has been met with stiff resistance from residents and the DEP declined to approve the application late last month.

    Guilford is one of 178 member towns of the MRC.
    Selectmen also received a notice from Moosehead Enterprises that cable television service bills would be going up by 75 cents per month effective Oct. 1.
    Town Manager Tom Goulette informed the board that one contractor was preparing a bid and others may follow for replacing the roof at the C.H. Lightbody Medical Center.
    The paving bid for portions of Wharff Road and Butter Street was awarded to B&B Paving from Hermon, the low bidder out of three respondents.
    Haley Construction has also submitted a bid for sidewalk replacement in front of the Maine Highlands Credit Union. As it was well within the budget, the order has been placed.
    At an on-site meeting on Sept. 9 to discuss the Memorial Bridge deck replacement, it was discovered that the sidewalk surface would be asphalt and that a curbing would be extended from Griffin’s Store into the parking area, reducing that opening to 42 feet as per DOT specifications.
    A public hearing was held to accept the “B” and “C” appendices to the general assistance ordinance as required by state law. “B” describes the maximum food allowance and “C” pertains to housing costs.
    Guilford’s valuation was released by Maine Revenue Services and it’s the same as the preliminary report: $125,650,000. This is a decrease of a little less than 1 percent, which coincides with the valuation determined by the county.
    Goulette noted that the winter parking ban will be the same as in prior years: no parking on any town road between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. from Nov. 1, 2014 through May 1, 2015.
    The Trustees of Guilford Memorial Library have requested that remaining funds from the Ruth Goldstine bequest be placed with the Maine Community Foundation.
    It was noted that Lillian Vachon, a friend of Ruth’s, has also left a donation – amount still to be determined – to the library. These two ladies summered at Piper Pond and were frequent library visitors.
    There were 44, 30-day notices mailed to delinquent taxpayers on Oct. 1, informing them that they may lose their properties if the 2012 taxes are not paid in full prior to Nov. 1. Many payments have already been received, according to the town manager.
    At the end of the session, Selectmen Peter Martell noted that Richard M. “Willie” Williams II has resigned from the Guilford Fire Department. Willie was described as “a brave, dedicated, loyal fireman who virtually grew up in the station and has given countless hours of his time and talent to the town. He will be missed.”