Dover-Foxcroft secures $8M for major bridge replacement projects

DOVER-FOXCROFT —  Dover-Foxcroft has secured congressional funding for several bridge replacement projects expected to take place in the coming years, Town Manager Jack Clukey told the Select Board at a meeting Tuesday.

“We’re well on our way to a couple significant projects,” he said.

The Maine Department of Transportation received congressional funding for two major infrastructure projects in Dover-Foxcroft. Federal funding includes $7.2 million to replace the Dover Bridge, which crosses the Piscataquis River on Essex Street, and $883,000 to replace the bridge on Lincoln Street. The offices of Sens. Angus King and Susan Collins announced the funding for Maine projects last week.

Although the bridge on Lincoln Street is more of a large stream crossing, the state classifies and inspects it as a bridge, Clukey said. The town will coordinate with the Dover-Foxcroft Water District, businesses in the area and others affected by the replacement project.

“It’s going to need to be done later in the season, between middle to late July and the first of October,” he said. “It’s a pretty tight window for the contractor to get in and disrupt the stream bed. Whatever year it falls in, whether it’s 2023 or 2024, it would be that timeframe to get it done.” 

The Dover Bridge, which opened to traffic in November 1930, is expected to be fully replaced sometime in 2025, Clukey said in November.

The town manager also offered an update on the culvert replacement project along Grove Street, which is supposed to address deterioration and erosion issues. The town budgeted from $200,000 to $250,000 for the project, but two bids came in over the budget, Clukey said.

Board members agreed that Clukey will work with the lower bidder — Clark’s LLC, which bid $380,727 — to revise the scope of work to stay within budget. If they are unable to develop the base project for a reasonable price, the town will rebid the project.

During the open session portion of the meeting, Catherine Cody, a town resident, asked about the lease agreement between the town and Central Hall Commons. Select Board member Barry Hutchins broached the topic at the last meeting, in relation to town authority and the Center Theatre using space at the Commons to host auditions for an upcoming play. The theater is requiring that cast members be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Cody couldn’t find any information in Central Hall Commons’ annual report about the lease and wondered how many similar leases exist with the town, she said.

The town, which owns the Central Hall Commons building, doesn’t receive any revenue, Clukey said. It pays somewhere between $20,000 and $22,000 annually to keep it running. Any income that the Maine Highlands Senior Center, the lessee, receives goes back into programming, he said.

As gas, electricity and heat increase, the cost of maintaining the building also increases, Cody said. “At what point does the building either start to pay for itself or some revenue come back?” she asked.

Rather than looking at the monetary return to the town, the value to the community should be considered, Select Board member Stephen Grammont said. The purpose of the building is to have programming that benefits and engages residents, he said.

The conversation led to questions about the adult day service center that hasn’t come to fruition at Central Hall Commons, budgeting and efficiency. The first floor is built for the adult day service center, but nobody has stepped up to run the space, said Chris Maas, a town resident who is involved with the Maine Highlands Senior Center. The space is being used for events and gatherings.

Last month, the board agreed to revisit the memorandum of understanding between the town and Central Hall Commons. Tara Smith, Central Hall Commons executive director, said she was open to conversations about budgeting and more efficient ways to serve the community.

Sen. Paul Davis presented a legislative update to the board. He walked through the process of redistricting and PFAS contamination, adding that funding is available to farmers to deal with the effects of forever chemicals. 

“The big thing we’re doing now is working on the governor’s budget,” he said. “She [Gov. Janet Mills] proposed a supplemental budget of $1.2 billion. That’s a lot of money. She is proposing to send half of it back to the people in the way of tax reform in some way.”

Nomination papers for municipal positions will be available at the Dover-Foxcroft Municipal Building starting March 21 and due at 4:30 p.m. May 2, Town Clerk Lisa Bell Ronco said. 

Available are two positions for three-year terms on the Dover-Foxcroft Select Board; two positions for three-year terms on the Regional School Unit 68 school board; and one position for a one-year term on the Thompson Free Library executive committee.