STRONG — Selectmen agreed Tuesday to move ahead with several improvement projects, including painting at the Forster Memorial Building and purchasing a new furnace for the town garage.
The board approved a $2,865 bid from Craig and Dale Bullen to paint the roofline trim and the ceiling of the main meeting room of the Forster building. The exterior work will cost $625; the ceiling work will cost $2,240.
Selectmen also approved Selectman Mike Pond’s recommendation of a $3,885 bid from Webster Plumbing and Heating Inc. for a new oil furnace in the town garage.
Pond announced that David Adams will not do the summer mowing, so selectmen will advertise for the job.
In other matters, Town Clerk Betsey DuBois said the Planning Board needs members.
Board of Selectmen Chairman Jim Burrill recognized the work of many people to make the Saturday town meeting successful. The contributions of the office staff behind the scenes were an important part, he said.
“I’d like to publicly thank Sandy (Mitchell) and Betsey (DuBois) for all the work they did,” Burrill said.
The board agreed to send a letter of support for a Community Concepts Self-Help Home Ownership grant application. Selectmen sent one in 2014, according to Burrill.
Pond said 2006 was the last time a house was built in town with the program’s funds.
“If you write a letter of support, I hope you write a letter of concern that nobody in this area has received anything,” he said.
Pond said he was familiar with the program because he had done work for it in the past.
“That program pretty much has gone away because of poor leadership,” he said. “It failed miserably.”
Community liaison contacts for the year are:
• Burrill: office staff, landfill assistant, septic system, custodian, waste haulers
• Pond: Highway Department, town beach, Forster Building/board of trustees, recreation, snowmobile/ATV clubs
• Rob Elliott: Highway and Recreation departments assistant, town park, tennis court, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments
• Dick Worthley: animal control officer, cemetery assistant, landfill
• Rodney Cook: Fire Department, library, Planning Board, Christmas lights, AVCOG assistant
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