Repairs from May storm damage to a Lynch Road culvert and a fish ladder compensation agreement with the town of Nobleboro are in Newcastle’s future. The town’s select board addressed these projects and heard public comment on road concerns at its Monday, July 10 meeting.
The board authorized interim Town Manager Kevin Sutherland to sign a contract with engineering firm VHB for repairs to Lynch Road and begin moving funds to cover it after a culvert there failed following a May storm.
The federal government declared the storm a disaster and made funds available last week.
Sutherland and Newcastle Select Board members said they chose not to put the work out to bid because the repairs were an emergency situation and use of the federal funds has a limited timeline.
“This is sort of out of the scope of the bidding ordinance, but it’s kind of an emergency,” Sutherland said.
He said he will ask the engineers to present several scenarios for repairs. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will likely fund a repair to return the road to its previous construction, he said, but the town could choose to make up the difference of a more advanced project.
Board Chair Karen Paz said going out to bid would delay the construction by at least another month, and the engineers are ready to begin work now.
Sutherland said the $17,000 retainer cost for engineering is currently available in the technical assistance line of the public works budget from unexpended amounts last year. A special town meeting would be called to authorize expenditure of the rest.
According to contract documents from VHB, the project cost would total $92,053 and should be completed in February of next year.
Sutherland said total costs for Lynch Road work, including cleanup reimbursements, engineering work, and the culvert replacement could come in at under $2 million depending on town direction and state and federal funding.
Following an executive session, Sutherland was unanimously appointed as the town’s emergency management director. He said the appointment was requested because the position was vacant, and it would complement his work with emergency management agencies for Lynch Road.
In other business, Paz said she met with the Nobleboro Select Board on July 5 to discuss compensation for alewife harvesters and the division of proceeds at the fish ladder in Damariscotta Mills, which is jointly administered by the two towns.
“They’re all in for getting an agreement after 200 years,” Paz said.
The board voted for her, Vice Chair Joel Lind, and resident Jim Brinkley to meet with Nobleboro representatives to develop an interlocal agreement.
Sutherland and the board reviewed a list of town goals, which he said he hopes to begin addressing during his tenure.
Priorities included defining the existence and role of the finance committee, membership of the comprehensive plan implementation committee, determining availability and administration of town cemeteries, adjusting the town’s budding ordinance, expanding housing, and regulating short-term rentals.
Members also reviewed the board’s bylaws, adjusting definitions and phrasing without major changes.
During public comment, resident Paul Tenan requested the town initiate a “concrete planning process” for improved traffic safety on Sheepscot Road between Route 218 and Route 1. Tenan said he was representing a group from Newcastle and Alna, and referenced additional signage added in other area towns.
Newcastle Planning Board Chair Ben Frey, who was in attendance at the meeting, offered to meet with Tenan to discuss his history working on traffic safety in town.
“I’ve been working on this problem for more than a decade,” Frey said.
Resident Mal Carey asked the board to task Martone with assembling information about the legal status of town roads, following comment at a recent meeting from the town’s road commissioner about incomplete records. Carey also asked the town inquire into the legal status of Hassan Avenue.
The Newcastle Select Board next meets at 7 p.m. on Monday, July 24 in the Clayton V. Huntley Jr. Fire Station community room and online.
