By Tim Badgley
Newcastle Selectmen Brian Foote, Carolyn Hatch, and Pat Hudson listen intently as Newcastle Town Administrator Lynn Maloney addresses the joint meeting of the Newcastle and Damariscotta Boards of Selectmen Aug. 11. (Tim Badgley photo) |
The Damariscotta and Newcastle Boards of Selectmen formed a committee to address communication issues after Damariscotta’s town manager raised concerns about the agreement governing public works in the two towns Aug. 11.
In an email sent July 7 to Newcastle Town Administrator Lynn Maloney, Damariscotta Town Manager Matt Lutkus said the public works arrangement has evolved into an organizational structure he does not prefer.
In the email, Lutkus said most days he does not know the whereabouts of Superintendent Steve Reynolds or his foreman, Hugh Priebe.
“I’ve had some major concerns regarding the accountability aspects of the interlocal agreement,” Lutkus said during the meeting. “According to the Damariscotta town charter, the town manager is responsible for public works. I need to know what’s going on with public works.”
Newcastle Board of Selectmen Chair Brian Foote asked Lutkus if he had been meeting regularly with Maloney and Reynolds as had been discussed several months ago. Lutkus said they had met two or three times.
Newcastle Selectman Ben Frey asked the members of the Damariscotta Board of Selectmen whether or not the interlocal agreement was viable and working.
In response, Damariscotta Board of Selectmen Chair Ronn Orenstein said, “It’s working, but it’s the communication with Matt.”
Damariscotta Selectman David Atwater said he agreed with Orenstein. If the interlocal agreement was abandoned, Atwater said the issue of communication would still not be addressed.
“It’s an individual communication problem, it’s not the overall workings of the interlocal agreement,” Atwater said. “I think the interlocal agreement has been working very well.”
Selectmen from both towns nodded in agreement. Frey proposed the formation of a subcommittee made up of two selectmen from each town to meet regularly with Lutkus, Maloney, and Reynolds to improve communication between all parties.
To underscore their consensus on the success of the interlocal agreement, the two boards approved Frey’s proposal.
Lutkus also expressed concern about the financial impact of joint public works. “In raw numbers, we’re paying on the Damariscotta side about $100,000 more than we did prior to the interlocal agreement for public works.”
The subcommittee agreed to prepare cost comparisons between public works operation costs before and after the interlocal agreement was initiated in 2011.
Reynolds presented the two boards with a cost-comparison report on a culvert project completed on Standpipe Road in Damariscotta.
Reynolds said under the interlocal agreement, the public works staff completed the work at a cost of $29,200, compared to the projected contractor cost of $52,988 for a 45 percent or $23,788 savings.
The contractor projection was based on comparable bids, Reynolds said.
Reynolds and his crew are currently adding drainage improvements at the Damariscotta fire station. Reynolds said, “I’d say it’s going to be probably a third of what it would cost for a contractor to come in to do that work.”
In other business, the two boards heard a report presented by members of the train and trolley committee. Maloney said the service has been operating for six weeks, Fridays through Sundays.
The trolley, operated by Country Coach Charters of Nobleboro, drives a continuous loop through the towns of Damariscotta and Newcastle beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Reynolds said the committee has received feedback that people do not know that there is no charge to ride the trolley within the two towns. However, the trolley makes a single trip to the Boothbay Harbor Region each day of operation for a fee of $5.
“We’re going to be putting signs at all the trolley stops so people realize it’s not a cost to them,” Reynolds said. “We’ll increase our ridership this way.”
Committee member Mary Ellen Barnes said the committee will schedule a ride for the owners and employees of Boothbay Harbor region businesses to acquaint them with the trolley service so they can better participate in its promotion among their clients and customers.
“If they don’t get on the trolley, they don’t really know what it’s about,” Barnes said. “It’s a great connection for the Boothbay region and Damariscotta and Newcastle.”
Mary Kate Reny said the overall budget of the trolley operation for 2014 is $31,000. Reny thanked the two boards and their constituent towns for providing a combined total of 30 percent of the budget.
“I’d like to applaud your efforts,” Newcastle Selectman Chris Doherty said. “Keep on keeping on.”
