Milo officials awaiting public safety building bids

MILO — The groundbreaking for the new Milo public safety building could happen as soon as late summer or early fall as bids for the project are due Thursday.

Once project submissions are all in, Plymouth Engineering will look at the bids with Town Manager Bob Canney. The firm typically compiles a list as bidders and some companies who did not submit ask about the range of prices, Canney said during an April 9 select board meeting.

“All these companies that do this sort of work, they are canvassing to see what everyone else is doing,” Canney said, as public safety building bids would likely be on the agenda for next month’s select meeting.

Interested contractors touched upon potential increases with President Donald Trump’s tariff proposal, which has since then backed off in large part, during a recent meeting. One attendee said they have seen a 5 to 7 percent increase in some building costs, Canney said. Bids will be looked at and adjustments made if need be.

Milo is in the planning stages of a new building to house the fire, police and public works departments. The community can spend up to $6,375,000 in USDA funds for the public safety building, which will be located at the business park, less than a mile from the 100-year-old town hall where the fire and police departments are currently located.

Plymouth Engineering had been meeting with town officials and department heads to design each department’s section of the facility. The engineering firm estimates the building, groundwork and engineering costs to total $7,200,758, or $825,758 more than what Milo has available in project funding. To make up the difference, residents approved a line of credit not to exceed $825,758 to cover costs above and beyond the $6,375,000 at a special town meeting. 

The construction is expected to take 18 months.

In other business, a public hearing and special town meeting on proposed updates to the town’s cannabis establishment licensing ordinance will start at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 28.

“This is to update the ordinance that we have, partially to update the language because it went from marijuana to cannabis,” Select Chair Paula Copeland said. She said other adjustments include allowing for one recreational business and one medical cannabis establishment in town.   

“The rest of it is really more for the administration of it,” Canney said. The previous ordinance was confusing for the town and cannabis business applicants, he said.

The updates will also provide more information during the annual renewal process to ensure the business is operating as it is supposed to, Copeland said.

The Milo Fire Department has been looking to replace its  42-year-old ladder truck. One possibility is a vehicle for sale on Long Island, a 2002 model with 36,000 miles and a $150,000 asking price.

The closest ladder truck to Milo is in Dover-Foxcroft, and the two communities have a mutual aid agreement in place.

The Long Island department plans to show the fire truck through a Zoom walkthrough, Canney said. The vehicle will fit inside the Milo station without any modifications after there had been some questions on the height.

“We can almost pay for that within the fire department budget,” Canney said of the $150,000 price tag.

The New York fire department signed a letter of intent saying it will hold the truck for Milo as the town does its due diligence. 

Penquis Recreation Director Crystal Cail has been looking at the various athletic fields and buildings, Canney said. 

One playing surface in need of work is the softball field. According to Cail’s report, the third base line foul area cannot handle water as it’s about 8 inches lower than the rest of the field. The infield dirt has not been topped off in eight years.

“We’re going to go through and make sure we figure out everything that needs fixing, painting, electrical,” Canney said. “We’re getting it turned around and going in the right direction.”

The May select meeting should have a list of needed recreation facility repairs and work schedule.

“We do have a property maintenance ordinance on the books, so people clean up your yards,” Code Enforcement Officer Steven Quist said in his report. About 40 properties are on a list for potential violations, he said.

Clean-up weeks are scheduled for June and lists of what is acceptable and not for disposal by the town is on the town Facebook page.

The group community and neighborhood development groups is planning a date, before the annual Black Fly Festival on the first Saturday in June, to clear brush by the Sebec River. The overgrowth will be cut and stacked and picked up by the town.