March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Camp road maintenance issue resurfaces at Newport meeting

NEWPORT — Newport selectmen heard a plea for maintenance of a camp road Wednesday night, a plea Chairman Al Worden said “we hear at least once a month.”

Worden said each month someone from one of Newport’s roads implores the board to do repairs, replace culverts, grade or pave. “But where are these people when it comes time to appropriate the money at the annual town meeting?” he asked.

Fire Lane 13 was the road in question this week, with residents asking for grading and gravel. But Town Attorney Ed Bearor said he had reviewed the issue and, despite sporadic maintenance efforts in the past, the town is neither obligated nor authorized to maintain a seasonal road.

Road residents said an article in the town meeting warrant for 1954 indicated that the town had accepted the road for summer maintenance. But Bearor said that was illegal. “A road cannot be accepted for seasonal maintenance. It must be accepted in total.”

Public Works Director Jack Wilson said there are at least three dozen roads in the same or a similar situation, especially surrounding Sebasticook Lake.

Selectman Thomas Brietweg said the problem has compounded itself over the past decade since many of the seasonal cottages and camps on the lake roads have now been made into year-round residences.

“This is an issue this town has to face every day. We have eight miles of dirt roads right now that we can’t maintain with the money we have. We’d gladly schedule maintenance and upkeep right now, if the people would give us the money,” said Worden.

Board members suggested that camp owners create road associations to upgrade their roads and possibly bring them up to required specifications, and bring them before the town for acceptance.

In other business, the selectmen voted to amend the current police policy to reflect recent changes made by the police chief and the town manager. The changes were made, said Town Manager Arthur Ellingwood, to reflect an opinion by the town attorney that out-of-town responses were allowed only under state law in a few clear exceptions. The changes were made in the policy to delete all allowable out-of-town responses and the board voted to ratify that action.

The board also granted a liquor license to Charles Shaw, owner of Spike’s Place, formerly Gram’s Place, on Route 7; signed a quitclaim deed; approved a workplace safety policy; and voted to keep a $6,250 bid bond on the town office project, which was forfeited after a developer withdrew his bid.

The board took no action on the Palmyra fire service agreement since members have not heard from the town of Palmyra since giving a deadline of May 1 to sign the agreement. Ellingwood said he notified Palmyra Board of Selectmen Chairman Victor Kimball, regarding the pressing need to sign the contract, in a letter dated June 27.


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