LISBON — Town Council on Tuesday accepted a permanent easement over a parcel of private land on Edgecomb Road where a town drainage pipe is located.
There was very little discussion about the agenda item among councilors. One councilor asked if there was a provision in the easement regarding erosion, after which Town Manager Glenn Michalowski advised councilors not to discuss the issue further outside of executive session because of potential litigation.
Chairman Harry Moore Jr. asked if there was currently legal litigation over the issue. Michalowski said there would not be any litigation if councilors approved the payment for the easement.
Michalowski declined to provide further details about the potential litigation during a phone call with the Sun Journal on Wednesday.
The town secured a temporary easement for town-installed drainage at 58 Edgecomb Road about a decade ago, according to Michalowski. The drainage pipe runs along Edgecomb Road and alleviates roadside flooding.
Action taken at the meeting secures a permanent easement over that land. The town will pay the current landowner $12,000 for the easement, funds coming out of the town overlay.
RiverView Farm Inc is located at 58 Edgecomb Road. The farm boards and trains horses, along with offering riding lessons. The property owners did not respond to requests for comment before publication.
In other business, Steve Aievoli updated councilors on the status of the sludge-dewatering centrifuge replacement project for the sewer department. Though councilors approved the project in April 2022, the final design has taken a year longer than expected to complete because of certain factors, Aievoli said.
The design is now complete and the project is ready to be placed out for bid, he said. He anticipates that a bid will be awarded in early February 2024. The project cost is still estimated to be $2 million, with $1.3 million expected to come from money left over from a USDA Rural Development funding package and $700,000 coming from the Sewer Department’s committed fund balance.
If the town gets bids more than the budgeted $2 million then Aievoli will need to get council approval for more funds, he said.
During the meeting, councilors approved the first reading of a new Erosion and Sedimentation Control at Construction Site Ordinance, which was previously rejected at an October meeting. Councilors felt that wording in the previously proposed ordinance needed to be more specific to Lisbon, along with some other suggested revisions.
The ordinance’s intent is to protect off-site natural resources, properties or regulated small municipal separate storm sewer systems from erosion and sediment migration at construction sites, according to wording in the proposed ordinance.
Councilors approved the ordinance with their suggested revisions at Tuesday’s meeting. A second reading of the ordinance will take place at a meeting in January.
At the end of the meeting, Councilor Don Fellows announced his resignation, stating that he will be wintering in Hawaii and town regulations prevent him from working as a councilor remotely, he said. His resignation is effective Dec. 23 but he still intends to stay active in town affairs and on town committees. Several councilors spoke about his commitment to the town and his work as a councilor.
At the beginning of the meeting, newly elected officials were sworn in, including Fern Larochelle who won reelection for another three years. Councilors reappointed Moore as chairman and Raymond Robishaw as vice chairman. Councilors also reappointed Jesse Zach to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
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