Eddington panel renews snowplowing contract

EDDINGTON – Town leaders decided Tuesday to renew the town’s contract for snow removal and accept a $65,000 bid to re-evaluate the town.

The contract with L.P. Williams Co., the town’s snowplowing contractor for the last several years, was renewed for the next three years.

“As far as I’m concerned he’s doing an exceptional job for the town,” Selectman Donn Goodwin said during the meeting.

The town is paying Williams, based out of Eddington, $60,000 to remove snow from town roads this year. The town will pay $60,000 next year, $61,000 for 2007 and $62,000 for 2008 for a total of $183,000 for three years, Town Manager Russell Smith said after Tuesday’s meeting.

“There is no increase for the coming year,” he said.

Selectman Charles Baker Jr. abstained from the vote because he is a former employee.

When it came time to decide on who should do the town’s revaluation, Selectmen decided to go with town Assessor Elizabeth Morin, who operates Hamlin Associates Inc. of Parkman, for a cost of $65,000.

Residents approved re-evaluating Eddington at the last town meeting. Selectmen now need town approval of the bid amount, which would be split into two $32,500 payments, before going forward.

It has been years since the town has had a revaluation, Goodwin said.

“We’re way behind the eight ball,” he said.

The revaluation is expected to take 11/2 to two years to complete and would bring the value of property in town closer to the current market value, which the state requires to qualify for certain state funding.

“It would be 2007 before it would go into effect,” Smith said.

Selectmen also dealt with two Maine Department of Transportation items during the meeting.

The DOT asked the town to agree to allow them to haul heavy loads, that exceed the 100,000-pound weight limit, on Eddington roads to work on the Grant Bridge, located just beyond the Blackman (also known as Riverside) Cemetery on Route 178. Selectmen granted their request at the meeting.

Selectmen also requested the DOT look into speed limits on Routes 9, 46 and 178.

“We feel there needs to be a single speed limit through town to protect the citizens of Eddington,” a letter to DOT signed Tuesday by selectmen states.

“From Brewer to Clifton there are six changes,” Selectman Charles Grover Jr. said.

Five trash and recycling bids, which are needed by April 1, were discussed during the meeting but selectmen wanted more time to review the bids and decided to table the issue until the Jan. 18 meeting.

Selectmen also scheduled a budget workshop for 6 p.m., Jan. 11 at the Town Hall.