Milo starts new website

Town looks to promote itself through new website

By Stuart Hedstrom

Staff Writer

MILO – For the last several months, town officials have been looking into the possibility of establishing an official Milo website with various sub-pages such as list of community businesses, upcoming events, public meetings, tax maps, and more. During a May 19 selectmen’s meeting board member Peter Hamlin reported on some of the research he has been conducting on various website development companies.

Hamlin said one potential company currently maintains the town website for the northern Cumberland County community of Harrison at www.harrisonmaine.org, and could be able to create a similar site for Milo at an approximate cost of $2,500 and an ensuing $650 yearly maintenance fee. “They do A to Z in size,” he said, saying a Milo website would be on the smaller end.

“We can customize it as complicated as we want or as simple as we want, and I think we want to start out simple,” Hamlin said. He added that town office staff would be spending about 20 minutes per week on their own updating components of a town of Milo website.

Select Chair Lee McMannus said two local web developers had looked into creating and then maintaining Milo’s site, but opted not to submit a bid. One feature he said he would like to see is an email sign up in which recipients would receive updates of meetings. “That way they’d get it the second it’s posted,” he said.

“I think the town needs its own website to promote the town,” McMannus said. He said other Maine community websites include information for visitors and citizens alike, including restaurants in town and upcoming events. McMannus said the selectmen are continuing the town manager search process, which will be another way to help promote the community.

Hamlin said the next step is to set up a “webinar” for the site developer to hear from town office staff aboutwhat they would like to see, and from there a possible contract can be drafted for the selectmen to consider.

In other business, the selectmen approved a financing package for a new trash truck. During a special town meeting last month, residents approved spending up to $195,000 to fund the purchase of a vehicle to replace the existing model.

“We sent out four proposals for the trash truck,” Town Clerk Robin Larson said, with Camden National Bank being the sole financial institution to respond. The bank’s bid was for a fixed rate of 2.2 percent, and the selectmen voted to accept this bid.

Larson also reported that the fire department needs three sets of gear at a cost of approximately $6,200 as well as some more gloves. She said the Milo Fire Department has had about 50 calls so far in 2015, including one stretch with at least one response per day, and this follows a busy 2014 with its 130 calls.

Per the town charter, the selectmen are able to transfer funds from an existing account into a new account that can be used for firefighting gear. The board approved moving $10,000 from an existing account of about $78,000 to create new account designated for the needed equipment.

Police Chief Damien Pickel told the selectmen about a new bicycle helmet recognition program. He said if a member of the police department “catches” a child riding their bicycle while wearing a helmet, then the young bicyclist will be given a ticket they can redeem at Pat’s Pizza for a free scoop of ice cream.

Pickel thanked Pat’s Pizza for their participation in the positive reinforcement program, and said children who need a helmet can have one provided to them through the generosity of the Three Rivers Kiwanis. More information can be found on the Milo Police Department Facebook page.

The selectmen also accepted the resignations of both Jerry Cole and Lois Wagner from the planning board; both cited personal reasons in their letters to the board. The two resignations were accepted with regret, and McMannus commented on how difficult filling seats on the various town committees can be.