County budget panel adds new members

DOVER-FOXCROFT – Four new members of the Piscataquis County Budget Advisory Committee will join in the deliberations on the proposed 2005 county budget starting Oct. 6 at the county courthouse.

The new members approved Tuesday by Piscataquis County commissioners are Judy MacKinney of Dover-Foxcroft, Gary Wakeland of Bowerbank, Robert Wilson of Monson and Amber Gahagan of Milo.

They will join committee members Alan McBrierty of Greenville, Wayne Huff of Monson, Gail Stutzman of Sangerville, Dennis Greene of Brownville and William Graves of Williamsburg.

The proposed county and unorganized township budgets have not yet been released to the committee.

Also Tuesday, the commissioners awarded the winter maintenance contract for Elliottsville to Joe Leary of Monson.

Leary will be paid $4,600 per mile for 9.47 miles, with that price to remain in effect for the three-year contract. The commissioners had advertised the job, but no one submitted a bid. Leary was then asked if he would be willing and he agreed. The county paid $4,100 per mile last year.

Sheriff John Goggin told commissioners that Unicel wants to rent space on the county’s radio tower on the county courthouse. The move is to improve cellular phone reception for Unicel’s customers in the downtown area.

Although the deal has not yet been completed, Goggin said it appears Unicel is willing to pay the cost of the cellular telephones used by the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Department and possibly the telephones used by the county commissioners.

In addition, it is willing to pay the county $100 a month in the event calls made by law enforcement exceed the monthly service contract.