By Lisa Wilcox
Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — The main focus of the Loring Development Authority’s Board of Trustees meeting on Jan. 9 was the pending Crown Ambulance proposal to provide ambulance service to Limestone, Caswell and Loring. After discussion, the board subsequently voted to approve the Crown proposal, leaving the remainder of the meeting open for other matters.
LDA president and CEO Carl Flora brought to the board’s attention the fact that telemarketing firm Sitel’s five-year lease term with the LDA is due to renew in May. The board unanimously voted to offer Sitel the option to renew their future leases every two or three years instead of the one-year term Sitel had requested. The board also reduced the tenant improvement allowance amount they provide to Sitel, since the lease terms will be shorter. The LDA will now offer an allowance of $100,000, which Sitel can draw upon and pay back during their lease term, instead of the current $500,000 limit. It was noted that Sitel has never borrowed against the allowance in the past.
Flora also updated the board on Loring’s efforts to become one of six unmanned aerial vehicle test sites in the nation. Flora has submitted a funding request to Maine Technology Institute under their cluster grant program, seeking financial support for developing a proposal to submit to the FAA.
According to Flora, the application process with MTI was lengthy and complex, but with the help of Scott Wardwell of the Northern Maine Regional Airport and Karl Hoose of Applied Thermal Sciences, the application was submitted and they are awaiting approval.
An update on the project involving the placement of solar panels on the south side of the LDA office building to generate electricity was then given by Flora. He advised the project has been completed and will be activated soon.
Designed and installed by The Power Company of Washington, the project will be known as “Loring Solar One.” Under the agreement, the LDA will see a reduction in electrical costs for some of the electricity consumed at its office and shop locations.
Installation of the panels took about three weeks and the system is expected to go on line later this month, Flora explained. According to board member Miles Williams, a Maine Public Service employee, there were glitches with the transformer, but those should be easily taken care of and everything should definitely be up and running soon.
Board members also set dates for terms to be met regarding the impending foreclosure of property owned by Tin Cup Land Company, LLC. They approved receiving a term sheet by Jan. 25 and response from Tin Cup’s attorneys by Feb. 8. If these terms are not met, the LDA will proceed with foreclosure.
The next LDA board of trustees meeting will be in April.
