HOULTON, Maine — Two vehicles in the town’s public works department are in dire need of replacing due to severe rust problems.
That was the word from Public Works Director Leigh Stillwell at Houlton’s Town Council meeting May 27.
Interim Town Manager Butch Asselin said he met with Stillwell to discuss a 2002 Chevrolet pickup that required about $1,400 in repairs. Asselin said he was extremely concerned with the condition of the vehicle’s frame, which had substantial corrosion. The $1,400 did not include any repair issues to the frame.
“It was a safety concern for me, so I advised Leigh to park the vehicle,” Asselin said.
A second vehicle — a one-ton truck — has a similar issue, Asselin noted. Both have been taken off the road.
Councilor Wade Hanson said he did not like the fact that a 2002 vehicle with such serious problems was only now coming to the council to be addressed.
“These things don’t happen overnight,” Hanson said. “Something is failing somewhere in the system for these not to be taken care of on a regular basis.”
Councilor Rob Hannigan reminded the group that when a similar issue arose with a truck for the Parks and Recreation Department, it was stated that a complete review of all town vehicles would be conducted so that the council was not blindsided by the need to make an emergency purchase. That review never happened, he said.
Stillwell presented a list of all of the public works equipment, including the age of that equipment.
“Year after year, we submit proposals for items that should be replaced (at the budget meeting), but the line I am told every time is ‘Can you get by one more year?’” Stillwell said. “It is very hard to stay ahead of the (replacement) schedule because there is no money. Are we negligent? I think not.”
Council chairman Paul Cleary said it was incumbent upon Stillwell to tell the council when they can and cannot “get by.”
“I am glad you keep your equipment purchases to a minimum and making your stuff last,” Cleary said. “You as a department head need to speak up and tell us ‘We can’t go another year.’ There are pieces of equipment on this list that are older than me.”
The last time the public works department acquired a new vehicle was 12 years ago when the town purchased a new street sweeper.
One suggestion was the town could take money from its roads account to cover the cost of two new trucks. The council will revisit the matter at its next regular meeting.
In other business, the council agreed to countersign the warrant and notice of election for the RSU 29 school budget. Voters will cast their ballots for the 2014-15 school budget on June 10. Only one councilor (Sue Tortello) attended the district budget meeting May 20, when residents had an opportunity to ask questions and offer comments on the budget. At that meeting, Tortello attempted to make numerous reductions to the school budget, but her efforts were for naught.
In-stead, councilors used the May 27 meeting as their opportunity to lash out at the school district for its increased budget.
“The question is going to be, with this year’s budget at $12.9 million and next year’s at probably $13.4 million, when is it that numbers start falling in line and things start happening?” Cleary asked. “If the budget is passed, taxes will go up.”
Councilor Hannigan said in the three years he has served on the council, that same question has come up.
“It’s the nature of the beast,” added Councilor Hanson. “Costs aren’t going down because we want to hold the line on taxes. Everything is going up in price. We have got to take the bull by the horns and find ways to increase revenues for the municipality to offset those costs. We can’t blame this all on the school.”
“Somebody, somewhere has to send the message that this has to stop,” Cleary contended. “We do a pretty decent job of it. A $12.9 million budget for a school that is losing students and a town that is losing people.”
The councilors hoped more people would come out to vote June 10. Last year, the budget narrowly passed by a vote of 124-103, which represented just 4.4 percent of registered voters in the district.
During public comments, resident Phil Bernaiche encouraged the council to support the Chamber of Commerce in its request for funds to purchase event insurance for this summer’s Wings and Wheels festival.
“You have two ladies (Chamber director Jane Torres and Economic Development Director Lori Weston) who do a lot of work and we should probably help them,” he said.
Josh McLaughlin, president of the chamber, also asked the council to consider supporting the group’s request for event insurance coverage.
“We are starting to do the marketing plan for (Wings and Wheels) and would like to continue to tout this as a collaborative effort,” McLaughlin said.
Wings and Wheels is an event held at the Houlton International Airport. Last year, the town and Chamber co-sponsored the event. This year, however, there will be a cost of admission for the event, which has altered the town’s stance on the plans. Traditionally, the town does not sponsor events that charge admission to the public.
“There is no written policy, but it has always been our policy that once a group charges admission, the town has stepped away from sponsoring any event,” Cleary said. “Once you do it for one (group) you will have others coming before us.”
Cleary said the council needed to work on a policy to address matters such as this in the future. The cost for event insurance was estimated at about $700. Councilors gave their consent to cover the insurance.
In other agenda items, the council:
• Entered into an agreement with forester Bruce Wilkins to conduct timber harvesting on town-owned property at the Houlton International Airport, as well as a parcel of land in Monticello. The purpose of the harvesting is to generate some revenue for the town and to help improve new tree growth in those areas.
• Granted an application to Matt Carr, doing business as Houlton Stamp and Coin, for a secondhand precious metal dealer permit.
• Agreed to revise the temporary Garrison Hill Tower attachment agreement with Pioneer Broadband. The agreement was originally approved April 28.
• Approved victualer’s licenses to Blaine and Sharon Jackett, doing business as Sadie’s Bakery; and Mike Farrar, for an eatery to be located at Riverfront Park.
• Reappointed the following members to the Personnel Board of Appeals: Christopher Anderson, Richard Goodwin and Dana Delano for three-year terms; Vicki Moody and Nancy Ketch, for two-year terms; and Margaret Hill, one-year term.
• Accepted a grant of $3,000 from the Bureau of Highway Safety for the Houlton Police Department and $500 from the Houlton Lodge of Elks for the D.A.R.E. program.
The next meeting of the Houlton Town Council will be Monday, June 9, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers.
