LIVERMORE FALLS — Selectmen acknowledged Stephen J. Gould as the newly appointed interim town manager Tuesday night.

Gould, who was not at the meeting, said in an email, “I was very happy that the board felt that I would be a good fit with the employees and people of Livermore Falls. I have not held a position of this nature in the past but welcome the new challenges!”

Gould started work Aug. 14 and will have a six-month probationary period. Selectmen will conduct an evaluation after three months.

Gould worked almost 30 years for the Police Department and volunteered for the local ambulance service for many years before that.

He succeeds Kristal Flagg, who served since 2011.

Selectmen voted 3-2 to approve $903.56 from the general government computer information technology fund for a broadband internet study.

Voting in favor were Chairman Heather Bronish, Tom Barker and Rodney Heikkinen. Voting against it were Nixon Ortiz and George Cummings.

“I’m just opposed to such a quick decision. I’m not opposed to the study,” Cummings said.

The board heard a presentation about the broadband study from Charles Woodworth, representing the Franklin County Broadband Initiative. He noted that ConnectME, an organization seeking to gauge the need for rural broadband, has held community meetings in the region.

Residents noted their children couldn’t do their computer homework at home because there was no internet connection. Adult education students couldn’t take online classes because of a poor or nonexistent internet connection.

“Having consistent, predictable internet distills down to economic development,” Woodworth said.

He said the initiative was looking to raise $20,000 among the 22 towns in greater Franklin County. Although Livermore Falls is in Androscoggin County, it is considered part of Franklin County for purposes of the study.

Cummings asked what it would cost once the study is done.

Woodworth said that wouldn’t be known until the study is completed later this year. He said the study was to find out which people in the 22 towns were connected and which weren’t, and bring everyone up to the same connection speed. Once everyone is connected and using the high-speed internet, individual users will pay for it.

“The town is investing in putting it in place,” he said.

“Do we decide what (internet) speed?” Cummings asked.

The town will decide, Woodworth responded.

Resident Jeff Roy asked why the town was footing the bill for an internet company’s infrastructure.

Woodworth said that because there aren’t enough assets in place already, towns have to come up with the money for the initiative.

Roy asked if the towns could do high-speed internet as a publicly funded utility.

Woodworth said there were few examples of that being successful.

“It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but if we’re going to change things, we have to foot some of the cost,” he said.

In other business, selectmen:

• Set a special town meeting for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Town Office to set the 2017-18 tax rate;

• Approved a bid of $12,336.48 from Bryce Bilodeau for property at 820 Park St.; and 

• Held a moment of silence for longtime board member Louise Chabot, who passed away Saturday. She was chairwoman of the board until she stepped down in June, and had been part of civic organizations in the community.

bmatulaitis@sunmediagroup.net

Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.