LIVERMORE — Selectpersons at the Dec. 21 meeting were leaning towards an 8% increase for the highway department and a 4% increase for town administration and transfer station staff, Administrative Assistant Aaron Miller said Thursday, Dec. 23.
Salary numbers are needed to determine other budget numbers, he said. Getting people to where they need to be (based in part on what other Maine towns of similar size pay employees) has a lot to do with it, he noted. Some administrative salaries were increased last year for that, he added.
Miller said there would be another budget discussion at the Jan. 4 Selectpersons meeting. He hopes to have all proposed budget numbers available then.
“It should allow for good conversation,” he said.
In other business Miller said Selectpersons agreed to engage in discussions with Main-Land Development Consultants of Livermore Falls regarding the Butter Hill turnaround for the town’s snowplows. The Board is looking to have Main-Land use existing surveys on file, along with their skills, to determine the meets and bounds for that area. From that, a description on why the town wants to take the property by eminent domain will be provided to voters before a town meeting.
At the Nov. 9 meeting, Selectperson Brett Deyling asked for time to meet with owner Sher Estes and see if an agreement could be worked out.
Estes had removed posts the town had installed and put up a snow fence, according to Selectperson Mark Chretien. He noted then that the town had been working on the issue for three years and wanted it resolved.
At the Nov. 23 meeting, Deyling said he tried to contact Estes and got an email from her stating she couldn’t talk on the phone and would not be up the next two weeks. He noted the town has maintained a turnaround there for years.
Further details on the issue will need to be worked out with the town’s attorney, Miller said Thursday. He estimated it would cost around $1,500 for Main-Land to do the proposed work.
The Livermore Town Office will close at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 30, for staff to work on year end reports. The office will also be closed Dec. 31 for the New Year’s holiday.
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