Officials looking to balance road repairs with costs

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    MILO — An ongoing discussion among many town officials across Maine is the need for work on municipal roads and how to pay for these improvements. The Milo selectmen have had similar conversations with the most recent taking place during a Dec. 2 meeting.

    Select Chair Lee McMannus said miles of roads in Milo need to be repaved and fixed. “We will probably have a lot better idea after the budget committee gets done with it,” he said about the scope of work that may be able to be scheduled as part of the 2015-16 fiscal year spending plan.
    “It’s not just paving, we have so many things that haven’t been properly maintained in years,” McMannus said about ditching and other accompanying roadwork cut back due to budget constraints. “I don’t assume we’re going to get all the paving done in one summer,” he said, saying money for road work will be a part of the budget up for a vote at the annual town meeting in March.
    Milo Water District Superintendent Tim Gormley mentioned the district’s cost for adjusting manhole covers and other related work that would need to be done in conjunction with road paving and repairs. The selectmen said this would be considered once a plan for the travel ways is developed.
    McMannus concluded the road discussion by saying costs will likely go up the longer the work is put off. “We get things done and in the long run it saves us money,” he said.
    The board has also been looking at several possible ordinances for the town, and they were scheduled to have a work session on these Dec. 4.
    “The Land Use Ordinance has got to get done,” McMannus said. He said a previous ordinance has had changes made to it, and the board would like to hold a public hearing on the revised document before they take a formal vote.
    “I think with the new stuff in place we should have a public hearing,” Selectman Bob Ade said.
    Another possible ordinance the selectmen may work on concerns rental properties, such as more responsibility falling under the owner’s jurisdiction when problems arise.
    Cemetery Foreman Robert Hussey reported that his department is approximately $7,000 under budget “and I think we were under budget last year,” he said. Town Treasurer Robin Larson said the cemetery department is on pace to be $7,400 under budget, and remaining monies would go into the town’s general fund.
    “I try to run the cemetery the best I can as a taxpayer and also as a department head,” Hussey said. “We were able to do the job and do if for under budget.”
    “Last night at 5 p.m. we acquired 14 tax-acquired properties,” Town Clerk Betty Gormley told the selectmen. She said some of these parcels were expected to be acquired by the town, such as the relatives of a recently deceased resident not wanting the property and others falling behind on making payments.   
    “It’s not high, it’s about average for what we do,” Gormley said about the 14 properties. The selectmen passed a motion allowing Gormley to proceed.
    The selectmen were scheduled to meet only once in December, but with Town Manager David Maynard under the weather and unable to attend the Dec. 2 meeting the selectmen will meet again on Tuesday, Dec. 16. Several items, such as updates on the Eastern Piscataquis Business Park and Safe Streets and Route 11 projects, were tabled until Dec. 16 when Maynard can be present.