NEWRY — Selectmen on Monday discussed about $1.5 million worth of proposed road projects, two of which may be presented to voters at the annual town meeting in March, Administrator Loretta Powers said Wednesday afternoon..
Voters will decide, either by a straw poll or discussion, how to finance the work on the Sunday River Road.
Selectmen are mulling what to do about a stretch of Sunday River Road from Monkey Brook Road to the end of the pavement. Additionally, a section of Monkey Brook Road, which goes to Sunday River’s Jordan Grand Resort Hotel, needs to be paved. Selectmen tentatively put that on the draft town meeting warrant to see what sum of money should be taken from the capital improvements account. Selectmen are recommending $200,000, Deputy Clerk Kelly Scott said Thursday morning.
The board has yet to finalize the warrant and the municipal budget, both of which it will take up at a special selectmen meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, in the Town Office.
Scott said code enforcement officer Dave Bonney roughly estimated the Sunday River Road reconstruction and paving project at just under $1 million.
The Letter S project calls for reconstructing a 1,200-foot stretch of Sunday River Road between Nordic Knoll subdivision and the Letter S swimming hole. Last fall, it was estimated to cost between $300,000 and $320,000.
Scott said the board didn’t spend much time talking about the Letter S project.
Also Monday, selectmen asked Bonney to do more work on a parking ordinance and an entrance road ordinance he drafted.
The parking document was created for parking enforcement near hiking trail entrances on Route 26 at Step Falls and areas along Sunday River Road, Powers said. Without an ordinance, Newry can’t enforce parking restrictions.
The road entrance ordinance is needed for people who want to make a driveway off a road, for which they need a permit, Powers said.
Fire Chief Bruce Pierce proposed changes to the fire suppression ordinance, but is still working on the new language, Powers said.
Selectmen will convene a public hearing on the proposed ordinances and revisions at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, at the Town Office. A regular selectmen meeting will be held at 5 p.m. and resume after the hearing, if necessary, Scott said.
The board decided not to require people who rent the Bear River Grange Hall for functions or classes to buy renter’s insurance. That was discussed for several meetings after selectmen asked Powers to look into renter’s insurance.
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