Sangerville officials seek clarification on town hall roof work

SANGERVILLE — Sangerville officials are looking to meet with Skowhegan-based Wentworth Partnerships & Associates President and Senior Project Engineer Steve Govoni in the near future to clarify the scope of work on the town hall roof. There is a question whether some remaining work is part of the existing project or would be an additional expense.

Select Board Chair Jeff Peters read a letter, during a June 18 select meeting, from contractor Roof Systems of Maine saying all the work is complete except for two remaining outside valleys on the roadside of the bundling. The condition of this portion of the roof is unknown.

The first valley was easier to complete given the short access from the lift and this required six days labor and materials to complete. The letter said the two other valleys would take about seven days each. 

This would cost about $26,500, subject to the unknown variables with each valley’s condition replacement requirement, limited accessibility and additional rental time for the lift. 

The roof project — the current pricing is $31,360 to date — would then increase to a potential of $57,860 per the letter.

Town officials would like to speak with Govoni before anything is done, realizing the construction prices may have gone up a bit but not as significantly as what is being proposed.

“We really weren’t in control of it to start with, but we still have to write the check,” Peters said. Wentworth Partnerships & Associates is contracted to handle the bids and contracts.

Giving an example of an estimated $300 truck tuneup costing an actual $1,300, Peters said the vehicle owner would be upset. “I’m going to guess that the people of the town of Sangerville feel the same way about this roof,” he said.

Town hall renovation committee Co-Chair Dennis Campbell explained the needed repairs were clear from the beginning. “It was a skating rink on the floor upstairs where it leaked,” he said.

After checking with the contractor, Campbell said he was told the valleys would be an additional expense even though the town had thought otherwise all along.

“That was the major problem with that roof and it has been for some time,” he said.

“I feel like we don’t have enough information to make an educated decision,” Peters said. “I don’t feel like we should issue any checks until we do talk about it.”

Town Manager Brian Mullis reached out to Govoni to set up a meeting for more information. 

A special select board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9.

The select board signed a finalized insurance policy that would enable volunteers to assist on the town hall project. 

Earlier this spring Mullis checked in with the Maine Municipal Association, which provides insurance for the town, and was told the association will not cover those who do not draw a paycheck from the town. Mullis was referred to The Hartford for a policy.

The policy for $771 annually is good through June 1, 2026 and covers up to 18 people.  

Plans are to repair the town hall and get the municipal offices back there by 2027.

In other business, Mullis said he met with SAD 4 Finance Director Anthony Willis — who lives in Sangerville — to discuss the school budget. On June 10 a proposed $9,752,463 2025-26 SAD 4 budget was voted down by a total of 282-187 across the six district communities, including a 71-38 no to yes count in Sangerville.

“For everybody’s sake they are trying to get this budget passed as quickly as possible, I get that, that’s in the best interest of everybody,” Mullis said.

SAD 4 officials were hoping to bring a revised $9.5 million spending plan to a June 19 district budget meeting with a referendum five days later. The town of Cambridge pointed out this would be done in less than seven days from the June 12 posting, the morning after a June 11 school board meeting, so new dates will be announced.

The $9.5 million is up 1.96 percent from the 2024-25 budget of $9,247,391. The $9.7 million figure voted down represented a 5.46 percent increase.

In his discussion with Willis, Mullis said there are concerns about $2 million for facilities with much of this set for Piscataquis Community Secondary School. “$2 million is a lot of money to maintain a single building” the town manager said.

There is also concern for two administrative line items of $500,000 with each for only a few salaries.

“(Willis) said they can’t recruit teachers because they are the lowest paid school district for teachers in the state of Maine,” Mullis said, with some educators having departed and other interested candidates saying they can’t come because of the pay rate.

On the referendum voters are asked to approve the school budget approved at the previous district budget meeting and Peters has concerns there is not an actual figure on the ballot.

“The entire town is not going to go to the school budget meeting, but you’re asking them to come vote on a blanket budget that there’s no number on it and I’m not good with that,” he said.

“If that budget that you’re voting on on our ballot has got a number on it that number is real, there’s no gray area,” the select chair said. “If you’re voting yes or no without a number, that’s abstract.”

Every three years the state requires school districts to determine if they wish to continue with having a referendum to affirm the budget approved at the annual district meeting. If not, the meeting would be the only time to set the finances for the upcoming academic year. A question to continue the district budget meeting/referendum process or not was on the ballot.

SAD 4 residents voted to continue to have a referendum to validate the school budget for an additional three years, via a total of 312-155.

Sangerville’s school board representatives, the town has four seats on the 17-member board, could be invited to a future select meeting, Mullis said. 

“This particular budget will come and go but the underlying problem will be there for years to come,” he said. “We have a school district that is too small for the amount of money that’s being spent on it. We have our community as well as the others in the district that are too poor to keep funding this from tax dollars forever.”

A conversation needs to be held, with Sangerville being a part of it, on whether there needs to be consolidation or something else, Mullis said. 

Tax bills were set to go out on July 1, per a vote at the annual town meeting March, Town Clerk Michelle Nichols said. This date will need to be changed until sometime after the passage of the SAD 4 budget, and the change in tax bills will need to be approved via a special town meeting vote.

Other area communities will likely be in the same position, Peters said.

After checking, Mullis said there is a cash flow to get through July and August.

The select board accepted a $35,000 grant from the Stephen & Tabitha King Foundation for the fire department to fully fund a replacement cascade system to fill the self-contained breathing apparatus cylinders. The new system would replace the aging system and the grant has no match requirement.

Two Knights Brewing Company was given municipal approval to seek a grant through the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council for up to $100,000 in HUD monies — any awarded funds would pass through the town.

The business is looking to potentially double its brewing capacity, be able to can beer for sale in area stores and wants to expand its kitchen, Mullis said.

“I’m a big believer in economic development,” he said.

Per the grant requirements, Two Knights Brewing Company would need to hire the equivalent of one full-time person for every $30,000 in grant funds awarded

A low bid of $84,756 from ProSeal LLC of Waterville was accepted for paving the Line Road was accepted. Six bids came in with the highest at $129,000.

The company was previously awarded paving just over a tenth of a mile of Maple Street and ProSeal will try to coordinate the work schedules.