Milo sidewalk project completed

MILO — A $125,000 sidewalk replacement project in Milo is finished.

The sidewalk project begins by the Milo Public Library and goes up Pleasant Street to the corner of Summer Street. It then goes down Summer Street to the corner of Morrill Street and proceeds along this road to Park Street.

The sidewalk on Summer and Morrill streets is very narrow and this stretch was widened to become ADA compliant. 

The work was done by A.D. Smith Trucking of Dexter. A $100,000 grant from the state’s Community Development Block Grant program funded much of the construction and the remaining $25,000 came from the paving budget.

The town has been speaking with SAD 41 about a future project for sidewalks leading to the Penquis Valley School off West Main Street, Town Manager Bob Canney said during a Nov. 12 select board meeting.

“They are very excited about our proposal to get that grant and extend that sidewalk up to that school,” Canny said. Having a sidewalk go onto the school property should not be an issue.

The town manager will see what quotes are and then will apply for grant funding.

“We will do that whole round robin again and if I have to keep doing one a year that’s what we’ll do,” Canney said.

Sidewalks on most of Park Street fall under state jurisdiction, the town manager previously said. The Maine Department of Transportation had told him these won’t be repaired until major road work is done and this could be in 5-10 years.

In other business, construction is ongoing at the forthcoming $7.2 million public safety building on Park Street.

“So far the work has gone unstopped,” Canney said.

Footers for the foundation have been poured and heaters are being used to account for the cold temperatures

“Their plan is to erect a building and have it all closed in by a January timeframe,” Canney said.

The building should be done in about a year.

The new building, being built by Sheridan Construction Corporation of Fairfield, will house the fire, police and public works departments. Milo 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.

“The ladder truck is here, we have had it out,” Fire Chief Michael Harris said. “The first time we took it out we found a bunch of problems with it.”

These include some bad relays and electrical problems with the lights.

The 2002 ladder truck with 36,000 miles was purchased for $150,000 earlier this year after a four-person team from the fire department traveled to New Jersey for several days to look at a vehicle to replace Milo’s antiquated 1982 ladder truck.

The ladder truck was bought as is but Harris said when he called the sales representative up he was told “the company is going to cover whatever it takes.”

The truck will be serviced in Bangor.

“There’s no cost to us so we can’t ask for much more from a dealership,” Harris said.

The fire department has received several donations, including $2,000 from the Charleston Church for the monument park at Evergreen Cemetery and $500 from the Three Rivers Kiwanis pool league.

Three Rivers Kiwanis also gave the department a plaque thanking the continual assistance at the annual Sebec River Canoe and Kayak Race.

“We’ll hang that in the new station when it’s built,” Harris said.

The Milo Fire Department is also looking to have many of its firefighters becoming members of the department in Sebec and Sebec firefighters would join the Milo department. Dual membership would enable firefighters to learn how to operate the vehicles and equipment in each community.

“I think it benefits both towns,” Harris said.

“If they’re in Milo and the tone goes off they don’t need to drive back through to get a Sebec truck,” he said.

Milo and Sebec have mutual aid agreements in place, in which the department responds with its own vehicles.

“I think it’s a slow process but we need to start and eventually look at combining four or five departments,” Harris said about planning for the future as all towns are coping with rising municipal expenses.

The Milo Public Library received a $10,000 gift from the Carnegie Corporation, Library Annette Banker said. The contribution is one of many given out to libraries in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The funds should arrive sometime in 2026.

“We thought it would be good to put it in the building fund, it is kind of depleted,” Banker said, as the select board passed a motion to this effect for when the donation arrives.

Milo Police Department Patrol Officer Daniel Spurgeon has been promoted to the rank of sergeant, Police Chief Nick Clukey said.

“His dedication with our issues we have had the last two months has been unwavering,” Clukey said.

Spurgeon will need to take some classes to complete the promotion.