FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — The town of Fort Fairfield is among a number of Aroostook County municipalities pondering the costs and benefits of installing LED bulbs in streetlights, and looking for ways to reduce the cost of winter road treatment.
Fort Fairfield is exploring converting the town’s streetlights to light-emitting diode, or LED lights, in a bid to save money like other localities, Town Manager Jim Risner said at the the March 15 town council meeting.
“It’s an idea that’s been “kicked around” by Aroostook County municipal leaders, and more than a dozen municipalities in The County are planning to jointly seek bids for LED lights,” Risner said.
“By combining our needs, we can lower our costs,” Risner said, adding that he’ll be coming back to the town council in April with further information.
The town recently received estimates of projected revenue sharing from the state government. With a projected amount of $244,000 this year, revenue sharing will rise $30,000 from last year. “That’s going in the right direction,” Risner said.
One part of the town’s financial picture that’s also gone up, but not in a good way, is winter road sand.
At the meeting, the town council authorized the Public Works Department to start negotiating for the price of winter sand.
The town uses about 3,000 cubic yards of sand with 200 pounds of rock salt per yard, and prices seem to be increasing, Risner said.
Last year, the town received only two bids for mixed sand: one priced at $14.99 per yard and another at $19.99 per yard, both were more than the $13.75 per yard the town paid in 2015-2016, Riser said.
“We’ve noticed that without serious competition in the winter sand market, the town is spending more by putting winter sand out to bid than if we negotiated the price.”
The council also authorized the town treasurer to place three tax acquired properties out to bid: 90 Sam Everett Road (set with a minimum bid $1,500), 37 Aroostook Falls Road ($15,000), on 322 Old East Road ($2,500).
The Sam Everett property is a small parcel of land with a small, older home, assessed at a value of $12,200, said town treasurer Ella Leighton. The other properties have larger land parcels, but “it’s very possible that the buildings will have to be torn down,” she added.
