NEW GLOUCESTER — Selectmen on Monday awarded the purchase of a John Deere front-end loader at $123,800 to Nortrax Equipment Co. of Westbrook after reviewing eight sealed bids received last month.

The bids ranged from a low of $99,600 to a high of $156,000 that included the trade-in value of the town’s current loader.

The board also gave the green light to town Planner Paul First to proceed with an application for a $36,225 energy-efficiency grant.

Last spring the town was awarded $10,000 from Efficiency Maine for municipal energy planning.

A commercial energy audit on all town buildings including the town garage is under way and the town is required to provide a 10 percent cash match to receive the funds, First said.

Efficiency Maine has given preliminary approval to New Gloucester for an additional $36,225 grant for energy efficiency updates to municipal buildings, based on an audit and Energy Efficiency Plan. Also, a request by First to add a $125 fee to applicants seeking to amend subdivision plans without adding additional lots was nixed by a 2-to-2 vote.

Selectman Chair Steve Libby said he opposed adding any fees currently due to hard economic times.

And, the town’s Economic Development Committee has developed a draft website as a directory for local business establishments.

New Gloucester Fire Chief Gary Sacco said the town has been accepted to receive $54,400 grant from the Fire Act Grant Program for the New Gloucester Fire and Rescue Department. A 5 percent match is required, Sacco said, adding that $1,360 from donations to the Fire and Rescue Departments each will help defray the match.

The town will receive 12 sets of turnout gear and complete extrication equipment using the grant.

The board began some preliminary discussions on proposed capital requests filed by the town’s Fire Department, Highway Department and Recreation Department for the 2011 year.

The board went into executive session at the end of the meeting on the assessors agent under personnel. Chairman Steve Libby said the closed session would be lengthy and action was expected.
Assessing Agent Nancy Pinette has been on sick leave since early May.