Road conditions spark comments at council meeting

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    DEXTER — Road maintenance wasn’t listed on last week’s Dexter Town Council meeting agenda, but there were some heated comments on the issue during the public forum portion of the session.
    Council Vice-Chairman Michael Blake, filling in for Chairman Fred Banks, defended the town’s efforts to keep the roads as drivable as possible despite a severe budget crunch this year.

    He told the audience that he, Town Manager Shelley Watson, the town’s attorney and other councilors were looking into a municipal bond to pay for much-needed repairs. “We have no money, and that’s why we have to borrow some,” Blake said.
    Blake said that the last road bond has been paid off and interest rates right now “are lower than they were with the old bond … less than 2-1/2 percent interest. Right now, we have to plug a real number into what we need. There’s no way around it.”
    Road Commissioner Mike Delaware had submitted an estimate earlier this year that it would take around $718,000 to complete all the repairs, Watson said, “so that’s a good starting point.”
    One of the prime critics of the highways was Tony Pomerleau of Silver’s Mills Road who said he’s complained consistently for the past three years about the condition of his road “and we don’t get any service … There’s 11 culverts on the road that need to be replaced. Why can’t we fix it right?”
    Pomerleau also said he’s inclined to withhold a portion of his property taxes as a protest. “I’ll pay the fire department and the police department — but for the highway, I’ll hold back until we get some satisfaction,” he said.
    Watson said that one problem that put the town in financial straits this year was the washouts due to the April flood that destroyed the bridges on Lincoln Street and at the entrance to the municipal parking lot. The repairs were close to $100,000.
    Gerry Marshall asked why the town was spending $32,000 on a new truck if they were having serious financial problems. Councilor Ron Apel said that last winter, two trucks were out of commission for a while due to mechanical problems “and people were complaining that the roads weren’t being plowed. But now you’re complaining because we’re getting a new truck. So which way do you want it?”
    David Bailey also addressed the board about the stormwater drains on Spring Street, noting that the road is scheduled to be paved by the Maine DOT next year. “But they (DOT) will not be dealing with stormwater runoff,” Bailey said. “I can’t believe that the state is going to put a brand new road in and leave old pipes — and no one knows how old they are — underneath.”
    Bailey suggested that the town “put some pressure on the (state) legislators” to see if either the DOT policy can be changed or additional state aid can be obtained for repairs.
    In other news, Watson announced that Banks was absent due to the passing of his wife, Joan, on Aug. 9. The couple had been married for 55 years.
    Four pieces of tax-acquired property were sold — including three to the highest bidder — and one advertised commercial parcel didn’t receive any bids.
    The one piece that didn’t go to the top bidder was a mobile home lot on McFarland Street. Watson explained that two bids came in, including one for the occupant who has had some financial difficulty. So the town manager recommended that her $400 bid be accepted instead of the $650 from another prospective buyer. The council agreed
    There were no bidders for the former Dexter Café at 6 Main St., despite that fact that the town’s minimum acceptable bid of $6,000 is far less than the assessed value. At one time, the eatery was valued at over $90,000, but town officials say that it’s now closer to $40,000.
    Watson said that she would rather not spend more money advertising the property and hopes that once word gets out in the press and on the towns’ website that someone will take an interest in it.