RANGELEY – Three selectmen heard a plea this week for a donation for local radio station WRGY but took no action.
“Over the past four years we have raised $38,000, but it takes $38,000 a year to run,” said Rangeley resident Dale Wilson, speaking on behalf of the station. She said they have come to the end of substantial donations from three or four major donors.
The station represents community broadcasting rather than public or commercial broadcasting, Wilson said, and has underwriters rather than advertisers because underwriter announcements are not politically or commercially weighted.
She said she hopes the town and station can be more collaborative.
Town Clerk Ethna Thompson said she is in daily communication with the station as a means of broadcasting announcements.
Board Chairman Dave Burgess said he was unwilling to set a precedent to other groups by awarding funds outside the regular application process, particularly without the entire board present.
Selectman Shelly Lowell suggested looking into the town’s micro-loan program, which Wilson said she would do. She also said the station is starting an on-air appeal.
Later in the meeting, the board received a spreadsheet comparing municipal donation amounts of other small Maine towns. Rangeley, with 1,089 year-round residents, tops the list with donations totaling $197,736. The town with the closest amount is Bridgton, population 5,215, which donates $175,000; Farmington, population 7,489, disburses donations of $9,500.
In other business at the meeting, interim Town Manager Tiki White introduced Bob Berry from Main-Land Development Consultants and a colleague, who proposed a preliminary engineering report for the repaving projects of High and School streets. The board approved of the firm working with Road Commissioner Earl Ross, with hopes that at least one of the projects could be completed this construction season.
The board approved the renewal of a liquor license for Sarge’s Sports Pub & Grub after fire Chief Tim Pellerin reported that the owners have been very cooperative in fixing fire and safety code violations, with work to be finished this week.
Pellerin also said he has prepared an invoice to be sent to United States-based Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway for Rangeley Fire and Rescue services rendered during the recent Lac-Megantic train derailment. He said the law clearly states that the department should be billing the railway, but the reality is that they might have to fight this legally in the future, necessitating board approval, which was unanimous.
The board approved appointments of Earl Ross as interim road commissioner, Paul Ferguson-Packard as plumbing inspector, and Alice Smith to the Budget Committee.
Other updates included revising ad specifications for proposals for the pump station generator project; a walk-through on the Carry Road project with very few items left to be finished; and 900 feet of waterline laid in the cemetery out of a projected 2,100 feet.
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