Wasting little time on small talk Tuesday night, the Wiscasset Board of Selectmen waded through a loaded agenda during their regular bimonthly meeting.
Department of Transportation project manager Nate Benoit informed the board of plans to rehabilitate the Donald E. Davey Bridge, which spans the Sheepscot River between Wiscasset and Edgecomb. Benoit told the board the bridge’s travel surface was 30 years old and had reached the end of its planned life span.
Work to replace the bridge’s travel surface and joints will begin in March and will be completed by mid-June, Bernstein said. There will be two lanes of traffic from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and one lane of alternating traffic between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Bernstein said the work should be completed by June 14, stressing there were significant incentives in the contract for the contractor to finish the work on time or ahead of schedule.
One contract codified a new three-year agreement between the town and the Wiscasset Police Association.
The second contract codifies an agreement between the town and the District Lodge #4 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and its lodge S/89.
The union represents the town’s support staff including the town clerk, treasurer, excise tax collector, registrar of voters, code enforcement officer, assesor or assesor’s agent, and recreation directors.
In a related move, with the new contracts, the town will be transitioning town employees to the Maine Municipal Employee Health Trust Point of Service 200 plan. The transition represents a significant cost savings for the town, however it does have a higher deductable and higher co-pays.
Accordingly, the board authorized Town Manager Laurie Smith to implement a flexible spending benefit plan for town employees to assist them with their increased costs.
According to a memo from Smith, the violations involved the cutting of 32 trees, measuring between 2 and 27 inches in diameter, within 75 feet of the upland edge of a coastal wetland. Seven additional trees within the 75-foot setback were determined to have been drilled and poisoned.
Atkins offered to perform community service and offered in kind services to the town in lieu of paying a $10,000 fine.
Selectmen declined to accept Atkins’ offer, expressing concern over the legality of altering a proposed consent agreement, setting a precedent for future violators, and tracking the implementation of Atkins’ offer.
In a separate action, the board approved a consent agreement between the town and the Maine Dept. of Environmental Protection regarding a violation of the town’s wastewater license in 2011. In accompanying information, Smith told the board the issue was a testing process violation and not a discharge violation.
“At no time during this testing period was Wiscasset discharging effluent that was above any allowable limits,” Smith wrote.
Since the violation was observed, corrective measures have been taken, Smith said.
The DEP originally levied an $18,000 fine for the violations, which had been negotiated down to $11,000 in the consent agreement; with the understanding Wiscasset would submit an evaluation of their disinfection system and consider replacing the pumps within the system. Smith told the board both expenses could be absorbed within the operational budget.
Wiscasset Wastewater Superintendent William Rines said he was not informed of the violation until 2012 but offered no excuses.
“I am embarrassed this happened and I apologize to everybody this happened,” Rines said.
In other business, following a brief executive session, in separate motions, the board appointed Luis Serrano to Wiscasset’s Ordinance Review Committee and appointed Steve E. Christiansen to the Cemetery Ad Hoc committee.
The board also authorized Smith to accept a $5082.54 offer of reimbursement from IKO Industries for what the town claims are defective shingles on the roof over the Wiscasset municipal offices. Smith explained the shingles were still under warranty but the town’s options were to either take the company’s offer, join a class action suit over the allegedly defective shingles, or file a separate legal action to try to recover a higher payment. The town’s attorney advised taking the settlement, Smith said.
After discussion the board agreed to rebate a sewer bill to Mary Steed in the amount of $321.
The board also authorized two EMT’s to support the Feed our Scholars 5 K Fun Run May 4. St. Philip’s Church will organize the fundraiser. The EMT’s will be needed from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
The board approved Pam Shockley d/b/a as Maine Craft Emporium as a vendor on the Main Street pier for the summer of 2013.
Wiscasset Planning and Development director Misty Parker reviewed a lengthy list of accomplishments from her office, during a briefing on economic development efforts within the town.
