Lack of funding stalls building’s completion

HOULTON – It was nearly one year ago that Ward Cedar Log Homes of Houlton donated a log structure to the town to benefit both the recreation department and the community.

While the town has all of the pieces of the 2,400-square-foot-structure, it does not yet have the money to put them all together.

“We’ve got the building. We just did not have the money last year to put it up,” Town Manager Douglas Hazlett said Friday. “It’s something that we need to do.”

Last August, the custom cedar log home manufacturing company supplied the building to the Houlton recreation department.

Once completed, the structure will be used to store equipment and provide additional restroom facilities for the community. It will also serve as office space.

Community Park is a popular spot in Houlton, both for residents and for sports teams and fitness enthusiasts.

At this point, however, storage space for the equipment that is used by participants in the various programs at the park is limited.

Hazlett speculated Friday that the town would need approximately $50,000 to raise the building.

The undertaking is one of 12 projects listed in the town’s 2006 capital plan that officials have suggested should be tackled immediately. The plan, which identifies and sets priorities for major projects that the town should spend money on in the next five years, was adopted by town councilors earlier this week.

Dozens of tasks, such as building and repair projects, are listed in the plan. During the recent meeting, councilors struggled to determine a way to secure the estimated $1.1 million that is needed to finance all of the town’s needs without ballooning the town’s 18.5 mill rate.

Councilors will soon consider scheduling a work session to talk about crafting a plan to fund the projects.