MINOT — Selectmen officially appointed Dean Campbell as fire chief on Monday, a week after members of the volunteer fire company elected him as their leader.
Campbell assured the board that citations from the Maine Bureau of Labor Standards’ recent inspection had been addressed and a report forwarded to Augusta over a week ago.
Town Administrator Arlan Saunders said a report of the highway department’s response to the Bureau of Labor Standards’ citations was submitted well in advance of the April 26 deadline. He said he is awaiting notice of a hearing on a request for an abatement for fines levied regarding the citations.
In his report to selectmen, Campbell said the controlled burn planned for the field at Shaw Hill and Woodman Hill roads has been postponed indefinitely due to high fire danger. The burn was to be a training exercise required for the continued certification of area volunteer firefighters.
Saunders told selectmen he would advertise for bids for summer paving program and expected to open them at the board’s May 9 meeting. To be paved are the lower end of Center Minot Hill Road, Old Garfield, Goodwin and Verrill roads and, if funds allow, North Verrill Road.
Selectmen directed Saunders to contact Planning Board Chairwoman Candace Gilpatric about whether buildings on Dan Caron’s property and property owned by Pratt & Sons Construction had proper permits.
Saunders said he spoke with Code Enforcement Officer Ken Pratt and both are confident the buildings comply with the land use ordinance.
Selectman Steve French said a recent inspection of the arsenic filtration system on the town well that supplies water for Minot Consolidated School revealed the water is virtually arsenic free and the system could last another six years.
In other business, selectmen authorized Emily Darby to act on behalf of the town at mediation meetings with county commissioners to resolve the lawsuit regarding the roles of commissioners and the county Budget Committee in setting the county budget. Any agreements reached will come before the board for final approval, selectmen said.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
