Greenville selectmen OK downtown revitalization committee

Staff Report

    GREENVILLE — The Greenville Board of Selectmen went along with Town Manager John Simko’s suggestion at last week’s meeting to work on a multi-year, downtown revitalization project.
    Simko, in a memo to the board, outlined some business expansion already underway in the community and discussed the feasibility of creating a tax increment financing (TIF) district that would be “a great tool for encouraging investment in the downtown area.”

    The town manager also noted that in addition to the demolition of the Black Frog Restaurant and future construction of the Puckerbrush Bar and Grill on the site, two other unnamed businesses in the downtown area have contacted him about redeveloping their properties.
    Simko also suggested that the town work with the Maine Development Foundation’s Downtown Center Program staff to learn some of the best practices for downtown revitalization in Maine.
    There will be a kickoff public informational meeting on this proposal Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. in the municipal meeting room. Town officials will then seek volunteers for the Downtown Revitalization Committee.
    In other business taken up at the Jan. 7 meeting, the board discussed the agreement reached between the Moosehead Riders Snowmobile Club and the Wilson Pond Association to allow the snowmobile trail to run the outer Scammon Road for this winter.
    Simko said that while this was “very good news for the greater Greenville community this winter, the work now begins to find a permanent solution for a northbound snowmobile trail on the east side of the lake.”
    Selectmen agreed by consensus to authorize Simko to work with the MRSC to find a permanent location for the northbound trail, work with outer Scammon Road landowners and various conservation groups to investigate possible projects and to offer to meet with the members of the Wilson Pond Association at their annual meeting to further discuss options for establishing both a public easement and a permanent snowmobile trail over the road corridor.
    The board agreed by consensus to close the town office, transfer station and other municipal departments on Martin Luther King Day — Monday, Jan. 19 — for the purposes of employee training. Selectmen will also consider adding MLK day to the list of holidays in the town’s personnel policy when it’s up for review.
    The transfer station will be open on Tuesday, Jan. 20 and curbside collection of trash will also be held on Jan. 20.
    The board and Simko also agreed to present a schedule and “road map” for the upcoming municipal budget at their next regularly-scheduled meeting Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. Town Clerk Roxanne Lizotte will contact the members from last year’s budget committee and ask who has interest in serving again this year.
    Simko asked the board to contemplate the “role they want the budget committee to play in the creation of the coming year’s budget, and define clearly the committee’s role and responsibilities.” He also said that selectmen may also wish to establish some staggered terms of appointment to this committee, as has been done with other municipal committees.