Moosehead-area towns eye government council

GREENVILLE – A proposal for the formation of the Moosehead Council of Governments is being eyed by Greenville, Beaver Cove, Piscataquis County and Shirley officials.

Greenville Town Manager John Simko, who proposed the organization, believes such an effort could provide the communities with some clout on state and federal issues that concern the region and improve communication. Greenville is the service center provider to the region.

“The proposed Moosehead Council of Governments would not be a layer of government, but would be a mechanism for existing governments in the Moosehead Lake Region to work more closely together and to better utilize our limited resources,” Simko said Monday.

Jack Bair, a Beaver Cove selectman, said he saw the proposal as a step in the right direction.

“We’ve all got to work together,” he said Friday. He said his board is looking into the proposal.

Simko has proposed that the council, called MooseCOG for short, could share information, become an entity which could review and comment on large development plans for the area, develop and administer a regional infrastructure fund, purchase goods and services in bulk and consider a common impact fee for development within the region.

Under Simko’s scenario, the council would include a representative from Beaver Cove, Shirley, Greenville and Piscataquis County government. The county official would represent the unorganized territories in the region, according to Simko.

The council could discuss and brainstorm ideas to solve issues in the region that range from the landfill operation in Greenville to emergency services, Simko said this week. Other issues could include septic waste spreading, road maintenance and improvements, and trail development.

To create the council, a

nonprofit corporation must be formed, and local residents would have to approve their community’s participation, Simko said.