DIXFIELD — Town Manager Carlo Puiia told the Board of Selectmen on Monday evening that he received a letter from Google in response to a complaint by a Severy Hill Road resident in June who said motorists were being misled by their GPS units to a non-public portion of the road.
A resident submitted a letter to the board during its June 9 meeting, asking if a caution sign could be placed at the beginning of the non-public portion of Severy Hill Road.
The resident stated in a letter to selectmen that for three years, he has had to help motorists who got stuck driving down the non-public portion of Severy Hill Road because their GPS units told them that it “is a route to Canton Point Road.”
“I’m not sure what type of sign would need to be put up, but I’m just thinking about keeping people safe,” the resident said in his letter.
Puiia said that at the June 9 meeting that his first step would be to contact the GPS companies or Google Maps to request a change.
A month after the original request, Google wrote back, claiming they would attempt to remedy the situation.
“They told us that they had labeled that particular road incorrectly,” Puiia said. “I ended up heading down to that road, got the longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates, and they said they would work on changing it around so people don’t get misled.”
In other business, Public Works director Calvin Beaumier presented a department report, ranging from the beginning of June to the beginning of July.
Beaumier told the board that his department installed a picnic table at the backside of the gazebo on the Village Green.
“The table was paid for by the town’s Economic Development committee,” Beaumier told the board. “It has four sides, seats about 10 people and has metal legs. We put chain locks around the legs, attached some anchors to them and buried them in the ground. I don’t think anyone will be walking off with it anytime soon.”
The table was crafted by Glen Tompkins in Peru.
Beaumier added that he and the rest of the Public Works added a number of trashcans throughout Riverside Cemetery near the Village Green.
“Lately, there’s been a lot of trash left around that area,” Beaumier said. “We put up some trashcans so people can have a place to put dead flowers or other debris.”
Chairman Scott Belskis asked Beaumier if placing trashcans at the cemeteries was something that should be done by the Grounds employee they hired.
Beaumier replied that the Public Works department sometimes helps out the Grounds employee.
“He does a really good job,” Beaumier said. “He never falls behind. In fact, we usually have him help us out with some things when he has free time.”
The Board of Selectmen also unanimously voted to appoint Rumford and Mexico Town Manager John Madigan and Rumford Chairman Greg Buccina to the Maine Municipal Association’s Legislative Policy Committee.
mdaigle@sunjournal.com
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