FARMINGTON — At the Aug. 22 Select Board meeting, Public Works gave updates on storm damages being submitted to Federal Emergency Management Agency, paving and LRAP funds at the Aug. 22 Select Board meeting.
“We had multiple storms,” Leia Durrell, Public Works administrative assistant, said. “Starting with December, they are calling that storm Elliott, we are claiming $75,225: $10,500 for tree removal, $64,725 for our infrastructure on roads. For December we are all squared away, should be hearing back on that soon.”
The May storm estimate is $162,955, is expected to go up, Durrell noted. The June storm, which also hit Jay, has damages estimated at $28,475, she said. A small portion of Webster Road washed out, she stated.
When asked, she said the portion of Morrison Hill Road that washed out will be paved before winter, the town might have to do it. Pike’s still has to install the speed tables on High Street, do some hand work on Mosher Hill, she noted.
Weeks Mills and Bailey Hill roads will start being prepped for paving, Durrell said. “Our crews have been pulled in every which direction, trying to help out with painting crosswalks before school starts,” she noted.
Public Works Director Phil Hutchins said he was notified the town’s allotment from Local Roads Assistance Program went up by 20%. The town budgeted $160,000 for it, was just awarded $191,000, he stated.
“That is always good news,” Chair Matthew Smith said.
Durrell shared paving work done to date this year: Mosher, Savage and Ramsdell roads plus Cushing Drive development. Pike’s will be doing the aprons on those roads, she noted.
The Select Board voted to accept the paving bid as written for proposed work in 2024 on Maple Avenue/Bailey Hill, Weeks Mills and Davis roads.
Bids are expected by Nov. 1, Durrell said.
“November first sounds like a long ways away, it is not,” Smith said.
The board also approved Public Works selling the 416 Cat Backhoe and depositing the proceeds into the Equipment Reserve Account.
“We bought a new one in 2022, that one is working out great,” Durrell said. “There are no problems with it, the guys at the station absolutely love it.”
The old backhoe is sitting at the Transfer Station, if someone were hired to bid it out, it would cost a lot, she noted.
The 416 is a 1992, Public Works used it 17 years, the Transfer Station 13, Durrell stated. “It’s 31 years old,” she added.
In other business, the board approved the Safety Committee’s updated Incident Review Policy 4-1 with Bell opposed. Smith and Selectmen Byron Staples, Dennis O’Neil and Stephan Bunker supported the motion.
“Most of these updates have been pushed our way from Maine Municipal Association,” Farmington Fire Rescue Chief TD Hardy said. Most of them are being done, it’s an updated format, he said.
Bell asked if the town had an agreement with St. Joseph’s Church regarding the evacuation procedure.
Hardy said he didn’t know, it was a landmark to walk to, people wouldn’t be going inside.
O’Neil said the church is an emergency shelter and operates a food bank so people come onto the property. He didn’t see an issue if the parking lot were to become part of the plan.
The furthest corner of the University of Maine Farmington facilities management parking lot is also listed, should check with UMF on that, Bell noted.
“I can definitely go check on that,” Hardy said.
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