Milo Public Safety Building construction continues
MILO — Work continues on Milo’s forthcoming $7.2 million public safety building off outer Park Street, which is scheduled to be completed by the fall.
“The public safety building is coming along on time and I don’t want to say on budget but it will have to stay on budget,” Town Manager Bob Canney said during a Feb. 11 select board meeting.
The sewer and water connection was planned to be directly in front of the building, but the state would not give a permit to cut into the newer pavement on the turning lane. Per state policy, there is a 7-year moratorium on pavement and 1.5 inches of top coat was put down several years ago.
Instead a longer connection underneath the town-owned Gerrish Road was set up, for an additional $42,000 cost that will need to be found within the project costs.
“All in all, it’s going well,” Canney said.
The fire apparatus bay has been closed in for about a month and now roof material is in place. The next step is pouring a mud slab for the drains in the fire department portion of the building, to be in place until the regular slab is put in.
“When you walk inside you get a sense of how the height is going to be,” the town manager said, with ample room for firetrucks.
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.
In other business, Public Works DirectorJeffrey Bowman was appointed as Milo’s emergency management director.
Ricky Bradeen had been the director but he had to step down due to his new role as a captain with the fire department
“He has his finger on all the public works equipment so he can make that happen,” Canney said about Bowman. While not currently certified, Bowman also brings a law enforcement background to the emergency management position
Bowman has been in law enforcement in past, but is not currently certified
Three Rivers Kiwanis recently gave the Milo Fire Department a $1,000 donation, Fire Chief Mike Harris said. The funds will go into a department reserve account.
Parts needed to be ordered for the new ladder truck because the previous department that had the vehicle in New Jersey used 5-inch parts for hydrants and Milo needs 6-inch fittings. These have been ordered and will be installed to get the truck up and running.
The 2002 ladder truck with 36,000 miles was purchased for $150,000 late last 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. A brand new truck would have cost more than $2 million.
“We have been busy, busy,” Harris said. “We have been averaging over a call a day and if that continues I don’t know what we are going to do.”
Three Rivers Kiwanis also gave $1,000 to the Milo Public Library, Librarian Annette Banker said.
The contribution will go into the building fund, along with a $10,000 gift from the Carnegie Corporation.
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 Piscataquis County Economic Development Council received federal monies for libraries and several thousand will go to the Milo Public Library to replace three antiquated public computers.
In his town manager’s report, Canney said he and Bowman met with SAD 41 Superintendent Darcie Fournier on a project for sidewalks leading to the Penquis Valley School along Penquis Drive off West Main Street.
The town is seeking grant funds for the work which would allow students walking to and from school to not be in the road. A new sidewalk could be installed over the summer before classes resume in late August.
“It is a very busy drive when school is in session, the buses, the faculty and teachers coming in and out and student drivers, it’s risky,” Canney said.
In future years a sidewalk project leading to Milo Elementary could be carried out.
Town officials heard from SAD 41 School Board Chair Mary Lynn Kazyaka, who lives in Milo.
“I think we’re heading in the right direction,” Canney said, saying communication has improved between the school district and the municipality.
The second SAD 41 budget workshop is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26 in the library at the Penquis Valley School, Kazyaka said. The March workshop will be at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24.
“You can hear some of the things we are up against,” Kazyaka said. “We are just at the beginning of the process.”
SAD 41 officials are trying to let the public know about the budget for the 2026-27 academic year well in advance of the annual district meeting in the spring.