Greenville selectmen want forester to evaluate town-owned woodlot

Staff Report

    GREENVILLE — The Greenville Board of Selectmen have authorized Town Manager John Simko to contact one of the local foresters who is familiar with the town-owned wood lot and see if they would be willing to conduct an evaluation of the property.

    When the forester completes the work, Simko would then ask the forester to give a presentation to the Board of Selectmen, the Greenville School Committee and Superintendent Beth Lorigan, according to the minutes of the Sept. 18 Board of Selectmen’s meeting.
    The Greenville School Committee discussed the woodlot at its Sept. 16 meeting and asked Bonnie DuBien, chair of the Board of Selectmen, if she would add this topic to the next Board of Selectmen’s meeting.
    The town woodlot is a former state public lot which was given to the town as a “school and ministerial lot” for the purpose of producing revenue through timber sales to support the Greenville schools. The wood on the lot was last harvested in 1994, and there is interest by the school committee and the superintendent to have the lot cut again in order to produce additional revenue.
    Previous legal analysis of this lot and its ownership and purpose makes it clear that (1) it is an asset of the town of Greenville and under the authority of the municipal officers; (2) the lot may not be sold or conveyed; and (3) all proceeds from wood harvesting must go for school purposes.
    District Ranger Bruce Reed of the Maine Forest Service gave a presentation on timber harvesting laws and procedures at the Sept. 18 meeting. Reed also explained in detail the benefits of having a professional licensed forester advise any landowner who is not in the woods industry and has a lot as large as this (200 acres) with various complications (e.g., steep slopes toward a stream, general swampy ground and previous heavy harvesting).
    He encouraged the Board of Selectmen to select a forester to evaluate the lot and give his or her professional advice on how — or if — to proceed with a harvest at this time. While Reed said he is not sure of the cost of such an evaluation, he thought it might be in the range of $1,000 to $1,500.
    School Committee member Leslie Bilodeau explained that the committee is very interested in having the lot harvested if a forester would so recommend doing so.  The school is willing to pay for the evaluation of the lot.
    In other business conducted at the Sept. 18 meeting, the board agreed by consensus to authorize a committee of three — the town manager, public works foreman and Vice Chair Richard Peat — to review applications received for the open position in the public works department. The panel would select candidates to interview, conduct interviews, select a candidate and authorize the town manager to offer the job at a pay rate which can be afforded within the current budget.
    Simko also gave the board an update on the Greenville Junction wharf project which involves the construction of a paved walkway around most of the wharf perimeter, as well as access to picnic tables by those in wheelchairs.
    Selectman Bruce Hanson expressed concern that the current walkway is too far from the edge of water to allow persons in wheelchairs to fish or otherwise enjoy the water.  Also, there was discussion of having two wooden canopies constructed and installed over the two picnic tables on the outer edge of the wharf.   Simko said that he and the code enforcement officer will check on prices for this additional work, check with the Bureau of Parks & Lands Boating Facilities Division regarding code compliance for such a walkway addition, and report back to the selectmen.
    The Board of Selectmen also unanimously accepted the concept of hosting a satellite office of Bureau of Motor Vehicles at the municipal office to allow local and area residents to secure or renew a driver’s license without driving out of town.  Simko will create a letter for the selectmen’s signatures to Secretary of State Matthew Dunlop to request a once-per-month satellite location in Greenville.
    Currently, the nearest locations of BMV mobile units for Greenville residents who wish to renew their driver’s licenses are Jackman and Dover-Foxcroft.