Frenchtown and Lily Bay roads spark debate

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — A discussion of winter maintenance — or lack thereof — on Frenchtown Road sparked a lengthy debate at the Dec. 2 Piscataquis County Commissioners’ meeting and soon escalated into a debate over other rural road conditions.

    Commissioner Eric Ward asked that the item be placed on the agenda because he had received some complaints. “But we also received some comments that the road isn’t that bad,” Ward said. “I just wanted to let people know that the contractor has been contacted by the county manager, me, and the road agent and told that he needs to do a better job.”
    However, Marie Candeloro, the co-owner of the Kokadjo Trading Post, said that this year “the road has never been so poor. It’s getting dangerous to the point where someone could get killed. I don’t have a problem with the contractor (Belmont Construction of Greenville), but he needs to do his job.”
    Candeloro also said that the commissioners had “numerous complaints about him and you did absolutely nothing about it. Then you gave him back the contract (this year) with no bids.” She also added that the condition of Lily Bay Road “is atrocious.”
    According to Interim County Manager Tom Lizotte, Candeloro’s husband, Fred, once had the snowplowing contract but lost the bid to Belmont in 2013. Commissioners awarded Belmont a four-year extension last February.
    Ward said that he’s had “seven seasons (as commissioner) dealing with this and I’ve had more complaints about those roads than all the other ones put together.”
    But Candelero charged that despite the complaints, “You have done nothing about it.”
    Commissioner Fred Trask said that her concerns were “really a county-wide issue. I think our problem is how we use the road agent.”
    Trask pointed out that the county’s two UT areas in Greenville and Brownville-Milo “are two hours apart. And to have a road agent look at these areas after a snowstorm or whatever is difficult. Personally, I think we should have two road agents — one for each end of the county.”
    Carl Henderson of Greenville was hired for the $15,000, part-time road agent’s position earlier this year following the retirement of Tracy Lord.
    Lizotte said that he has records of Henderson’s activities, based on his mileage records. But Trask said that he’d prefer a more detailed report. “When he goes out to these roads, what does he see there?” he asked.
    Lizotte said that he’d be glad to talk to Henderson; and if the commissioners prefer, ask him to attend a meeting in the future. However, he noted that he works for Greenville Consolidated School full-time and takes care of his road agent duties in late afternoons or weekends.
    James Annis, chairman of the commissioners, noted that he lives on a dirt road “and it seems like every time they grade it, it rains the next day and the potholes come right back.”
    The commissioners agreed by consensus to have Lizotte ask Henderson to summarize his findings during each inspection and submit a written report on his activities.
    In other action taken at the Dec. 2 meeting, liquor license renewals were approved for the Kokadjo Trading Post and the Chesuncook Lake House unanimously. Sheriff John Goggin said his department had no complaints about either licensee.