FARMINGTON — Selectmen on Tuesday approved a $315,625 grant application for the Walton Mill Pond Park improvement project, but tabled an agreement on removing the Walton Mill Dam.
In November 2018, voters approved the $1.2 million Walton’s Mill Dam project. In 2017, a fish passage study was approved.
The project will be funded entirely by the Atlantic Salmon Federation. It includes removal of the dam, new lawn space in Walton’s Mill Pond Park, trail improvements, an expanded parking lot, public restrooms and a pavilion.
The project agreement between The Nature Conservancy, the Atlantic Salmon Federation and the town relative to the Walton’s Mill Dam removal is pretty comprehensive, Town Manager Richard Davis said.
“I’ve had our town attorney review it, there were a couple of things noted,” he said.
If a perpetual conservation easement is needed, voter approval will be required so no action can be taken until then, Davis said.
“There were a few questions the attorney had with the agreement,” he said. “The termination clause seems to be short notice for the entities involved and overly broad for the parameters for termination.”
The proposed changes from legal counsel will be shared with The Nature Conservancy for comment, Davis said.
The $315,625 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant piggybacks on existing town grants, Davis said.
“There are four different town projects funded that way over the years, including the original Walton’s Mill Park,” Davis said.
Total cost for the entire project is about $1.8 million, he said.
Matching funds committed include:
• Atlantic Salmon Federation, $180,000
• NOAA Fisheries, $600,000
• USFWS, $120,000
Matching funds pending include:
• Private donations, $120,000
• Northern Border Regional Commission, $300,000
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, $155,393
Selectman Stephan Bunker asked about the status of those listed as pending.
“The applications have all been put in, all are being handled by the Atlantic Salmon Federation,” Davis said. “There’s no town costs involved in this.”
In other business, selectmen also approved a grant application from Tawnya Clough, owner of Mosher’s Meat and Seafood. The application was one of four originally approved for funding in March.
Mosher’s Meat and Seafood at 595 Farmington Falls Road has applied for a 2020 Micro Enterprise Assistance Program grant of $30,000 through the Community Development Block Grant program.
A couple of public hearings have to be held, Tuesday’s was the second one, Davis said.
Owner Tawnya Clough will use the money to install a new digital road sign.
Clough is investing an additional $15,000 in improvements as part of the project, Davis said.
In other business, the board approved:
• A $5,500 reduction in the Farmington Library 2020 budget
• Appointed Michael Macneil to a three year term on the Budget Committee and one year as an alternate on the Planning Board.
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