St. Albans shifts mowing contract

ST. ALBANS – Town selectmen terminated a mowing contract, established a baseball field committee and ensured the safety of the town’s children at their meeting Monday night.

Selectmen unanimously voted to terminate Benjamin Roundy’s contract for mowing the town cemeteries and properties after residents complained the job wasn’t being done.

Town Manager Larry Post told the board he had written to Roundy about his poor job performance, and Roundy failed to reply. Residents complained that the headstones in the town cemetery were no longer visible due to high grass.

Post recommended the town negotiate with Mark Stanley, the previous sexton, but selectmen said that when the job was put out to bid this spring, Stanley declined to bid. “This should go to the next bidder,” said Chairman Chet Morse Jr.

That bidder, Don Reynolds of North Road Nursery of St. Albans, was at the meeting and agreed to do the work. He said he will be on the job at 7 this morning.

Selectmen also established a committee to present a plan for the baseball field. Residents are banding together to rebuild and expand the existing field. Post said that $17,000 in town funds and $6,000 in Indian Lake Association funds are available for the project, which would include filling and grading, loaming and seeding, fencing, and relocating the ice skating rink.

Part of the committee’s job will be to explore options for the skating rink location.

“I have no trouble spending the money for the project,” said Morse, “but we need to see a plan.” The board voted unanimously to provide $5,000 seed money to get the project moving.

The committee will meet at 5 p.m. Monday, June 28, at the town hall. Post said all volunteers are invited.

In other business, the selectmen asked Post to contact state officials about posting the bridge on Route 151 to deter swimming and fishing.

“Someone is going to get killed,” said Morse, noting that the entire length of Route 151 from Palmyra to St. Albans was recently paved and skateboarders and others are in the roadway.

On hot days, children have been gathering at the bridge that is at a narrow section of the road. “I’ve even seen them lay down on towels in the road,” said Dennis Smith, who operates a hardware store nearby.