LIMESTONE, Maine – If all goes well, Limestone could acquire a new public works garage by the year’s end.
On Wednesday, around 40 residents unanimously authorized the town’s Select Board to move forward with purchasing a mechanic’s shop at 72 Long Road, currently owned by Caldwell’s Auto. The vote occurred during a special town meeting held at Limestone Community School’s auditorium.
The over 60-year-old public works garage on Burleigh Avenue, less than a mile from the Caldwell’s building, is beyond the point where it can be fully repaired, said Interim Town Manager Alan Mulherin.
Maine Municipal Association has dropped its collapse insurance from the public works garage because its support walls are slanted and have begun to crumble, and the roof is also in danger of collapsing.
“We have two options. Either we tear it down or try to install support beams in the center to embrace the roof [to try to prevent collapse],” Mulherin said.
But that does not mean the insurance company will approve those changes and restore coverage, Mulherin noted. Even those changes would still not make the building safe enough for employees.
“The floor is cracked and already is a tripping hazard for workers. The siding has holes in it,” Mulherin said. “We would only use [that building] for equipment storage.”
Most discussion centered on how the town might pay off a 10-year loan for the Caldwell’s building purchase more quickly.
Caldwell’s has offered to sell their garage to the town for $650,000, plus $24,000 to cover the installation of two 14-foot high by 24-foot wide insulated overhead doors for the front and back of the building. The current 14-by-18 overhead door in the back of the Caldwell’s garage would be too small to maneuver snowplows in and out safely, Mulherin said.
Residents approved $700,000 for the town to spend on the building purchase and closing costs.
Limestone will allocate $50,000 toward the down payment, plus $39,227 in unpaid taxes from Caldwell’s, bringing the total to $89,227. With a 10-year loan that has a 4.5-percent interest rate, the first year’s interest would total $27,495 and gradually decrease throughout the 10 years, Mulherin said.
One resident questioned whether the town could use $50,000 from a certificate of deposit to bring the down payment total to $100,000, not including Caldwell’s taxes, and start paying off the loan more quickly.
That could be an option that the Select Board considers, Mulherin said. In the meantime, Caldwell’s will need an official estimate on the overhead door costs before the town could move forward with the closing date, now estimated for Nov. 1.
Residents also unanimously approved transfering $4,000 from the recreation department’s reserve account to its regular budget, which now totals $90,933. In June, voters approved a $86,933 recreation budget that included the salary for a full-time director but the town was uncertain if they would find a director.
Since then, new full-time director Corin Cooper has been working to bring back regular programs. Thirty children have signed up for a new soccer program and 15 are taking part in after-school activities. Five adults have been participating in a walking program at Albert Michaud Memorial Park.
Cooper plans to start a weekend toddler playgroup, an adult pop pilates class and aquatics classes at Limestone Community School’s pool.
But the $8,000 total that was in the recreation reserves as of Wednesday would not have covered costs for those and other upcoming events, like a haunted walk and a concession stand for movie nights. Nor would it pay for soccer jerseys for the entire team if they travel to games between other recreation leagues, Cooper said.
In other business, tax assessor Brandon Saucier updated residents about the townwide tax revaluation starting this fall.
Saucier and one of his employees will be going to all real estate and personal property for on-site inspections to determine updated property values. If a resident is not home, Saucier or his employee will leave a note and give homeowners the option of rescheduling a tour.
During tours, Saucier will ask whether the home has a finished basement, what type of heating system is installed, inspect the electrical fuse box and the plumbing. All that information will help update residents’ home values to equitable rates, Saucier said.
“It’s not about trying to raise or lower taxes, it’s about making sure everyone is paying their fair share,” Saucier said.
Around September 2025, residents will receive their new property tax cards and a mock tax bill that shows their home’s new value and projected taxation. The real tax bills will go out several weeks later, once the Select Board approves a mill rate, Saucier noted.
Residents at the meeting did not have comments on the proposed ordinance to regulate ATV traffic on town and state-owned roads. Even after Select Board approval, the county and state will need to review the ordinance, Mulherin said.
