LIVERMORE — Selectpersons voted 5-0 Tuesday, Aug. 31, to terminate the cemetery mowing contract with Michael Webber.
Last week more complaints about the mowing were received, Administrative Assistant Aaron Miller said. “I received a call from Sen. (Lisa) Keim’s office after a complaint was brought to their crew there,” he said. “I’m just keeping you guys apprised of the situation.”
After several complaints were received in June, the board agreed to meet with Webber to discuss the situation. In August several more complaints were received, including grass not mowed and brush and debris not removed.
“It happened this year, it happened last year,” Selectperson Scott Richmond said after moving to terminate the contract. “I’m sick of my phone ringing.”
When asked, Miller said Webber hadn’t been notified about all the complaints received.
The contract states the town will notify the contractor within 48 hours of receiving a complaint, Selectperson Tracey Martin said. “If we haven’t done that, how can we hold him accountable?”
“It says he’d contact us too if he wasn’t able to do (the mowing),” Selectperson Mark Chretien noted.
Selectperson Brett Deyling said he needed to know whether there was a plan before he could vote.
There is a plan, Richmond said, but he didn’t want to discuss it until after the vote on terminating the current contract.
“I’ve contacted somebody, had him give me a price,” Richmond said. “We’re going to get fined for not having veterans’ graves mowed.”
Chretien said it was a contractor with the required insurance.
After terminating Webber’s contract, the board unanimously approved hiring Sunshine Pools for $4,650 to finish out the year and do fall cleanup.
In April, Jeff Laroche of Sunshine Pools in Jay was awarded a three-year contract to mow other town properties. Three companies had each bid $7,000 per year to complete the work.
The cemetery mowing will be rebid in November, Chretien said.
Prior to the first vote, Webber said the reason for not mowing was because of a couple instances of vandalism to his equipment.
“My machines don’t run on diesel,” Webber said. “Somebody siphoned the gas out and added diesel so it took a little while to get parts and get the machines back into running order. I should have called Aaron and I didn’t.”
“Who would siphon gas out of a tank and replace it with diesel,” Deyling asked later.
“My dog ate my homework,” Richmond replied.
In other business:
• Maine’s Landowner Appreciation Day is Sept. 12. A dumpster will be available at the Round Pond boat launch, probably after 8 a.m., for people to dispose of tires and junk at no cost.
• Sam Gould’s name was drawn to receive the $1,000 Pollard Scholarship. Gould is in the final undergraduate year of study in optometry at St. Joseph’s, Miller said.
• The Economic Development Committee will be reviewing the town’s Limited Commercial Zoning Ordinance approved at the 2017 Town Meeting.
• The 40 miles per hour speed limit on Route 4 will be extended some 2,000 feet to include the area by the town’s ball fields. New signs will be erected soon.
• A special Selectpersons meeting will be held 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7, to review figures prior to committing the tax rate.
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