Bridgewater plans special hearing

By Tomi Henderson
Special to The Houlton Pioneer Times
    BRIDGEWATER — The Town of Bridgewater will hold an informational public hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 5, at 6:30 p.m. at the Civic Building. The Building Planning Committee will present information about the new multi-purpose municipal building that the town proposes to erect to house the Fire Department and Community Center.
   “The town is applying for a Community Development Block Grand (CDBG) to assist with construction and it’s time to update our citizens on the progress we’ve made since our special Town Meeting in September,” said Bridgewater’s Town Manager Jill Rusby.
    “We still have a lot of work to do before the project comes to the people for a vote, but we want to keep them informed and involved in what we’re doing,” added Rusby.
      Rusby went on to explain that in early December, the town submitted a letter of intent (LOI) to the Office of Community Development (OCD) in Augusta. Approval of the LOI is required before the municipality can submit an application. The town’s LOI was approved and they are preparing the application, which is due in Augusta on Jan. 21. The purpose of the hearing is to share information about the progress on the building and to seek the townspeople’s opinions, both for and against, on the new building that’s being proposed.
   The town manager emphasized that a vote will not be taken at the hearing. 
    “We’re planning to have the vote included in the warrant for the annual town meeting in March,” said Rusby. “The ODC announces the CDBG awards in March, and we need those results to determine the net cost to the town, which is needed for the warrant.”
      Any questions about the informational public hearing should be directed to Rusby at 429-9856.