OTISFIELD — Voters at the town meeting on Saturday, June 25, will be asked to approve bonding $250,000 as the town’s share of a joint project to repair the Pleasant Lake Dam.
The meeting to consider the 29-article warrant begins at 9 a.m. in the Community Hall on Route 121.
The dam on Route 121 in Casco is jointly owned by the towns of Otisfield and Casco, which is splitting the costs with Otisfield.
Earlier this month, selectmen in both Casco and Otisfield approved a $421,639 bid by T-Buck Construction of Auburn for dam repair work. If voters approve, each town will pay a $250,000 share of the work that will be done this fall.
Casco and Otisfield selectmen received a report from the Maine Emergency Management Agency in 2014 about leakage and structural deterioration at the dam. The towns face significant fines from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection if the dam fails.
In other actions, voters will be asked to OK $705,000 for Public Works, including $260,000 for the care of winter roads, $165,000 for summer roads, and $120,000 for tarring and resurfacing.
A total of $147,046 is being requested for public safety and cemetery costs, including $68,560 for the Fire Department and $44,000 for the Code Enforcement Office, and $13,000 for the upkeep of cemeteries.
Voters will also be asked to raise and appropriate $25,000 to purchase a used sport utility vehicle for the Fire Department. The four-wheel drive vehicle will replace the current rescue vehicle and can also be used as a hauler for the UTV trailer and as a command vehicle, according to town officials.
Voters will also be asked to approve transferring $45,000 from the Heniger Park lease fees to the road equipment reserve account. The $45,000 is approximately half of the total Heniger Park lease fees under the new leases signed last year.
Voters will be asked to appropriate $326,000 for the general government accounts, including $124,000 for the administration account, $63,500 for officers salaries and $65,000 the the upkeep of municipal buildings and grounds.
In other action, voters will be asked to:
- raise and appropriate $5,000 to repair and maintain Thompson Lake Dam, owned by Oxford;
- raise and appropriate $130,000 for solid waste costs; and
- approve the proposed Town of Otisfield Shoreland Zoning Ordinance changes and proposed Definitions for the Town of Otisfield’s Ordinances updates.
ldixon@sunmediagroup.net
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