Brewer officials: Land buy to aid water availability

BREWER – “Abysmal,” is how Fire Chief Rick Bronson described the fire hydrant pressure on Century Street during Tuesday’s City Council meeting, while addressing concerns about the city’s purchase of land at the end of the roadway.

The main reason the city is purchasing the land between Century Street and Parkway South is to extend utilities, city officials added.

“The water line on Century Street is a dead end,” Bronson said. “There is quite a gradient there. When you open the big cap on the front of the hydrant you have about 2 pounds of pressure.

“It’s basically a dribble,” the fire chief said.

Some residents along Century Street recently voiced concerns to individual city councilors about the land purchase and the possibility of extending the street so that it intersects with Parkway South, saying they were worried about increased traffic.

While an extension could be pursued in the future, there are currently no plans and no money has been set aside for it, City Manager Steve Bost said.

“That may or may not be what the council decides next year, or the year beyond that,” he said.

Before a road construction project is considered, a public hearing would need to be held, Bost added.

“The neighborhood should have some say,” Councilor Joseph Ferris said, a thought echoed by other board members.

City Councilors on Tuesday endorsed purchasing the land located between Century Street and Parkway South from three property owners. During the meeting, the board also:

. Honored Hester “Sessie” Hanson, who died Oct. 1, for her years of community service with the city and recognized Ruth-Marie Spellman for her 29 years on the school board.

. Updated the general assistance ordinance to align with new state benefit figures.

. Purchased a new $24,961 boiler for City Hall to replace the one installed in 1937 and authorized the purchase of a new $20,000 pickup truck for the water department.

. Accepted $2,947 in forfeited funds from a recent court case to benefit the police department, $1,000 from both Merrill Bank and T.D. Banknorth to support the recently held small business forum, and $2,500 from Wal-Mart Foundation to support the fire department.

. Declared and certified the Nov. 7 election results.

. Named Economic Development Director D’arcy Main-Boyington, Tanya Pereira, economic development specialist, and City Manager Steve Bost as managers of South Brewer Redevelopment LLC.

. Posted a proposed parking ban on Fling Street, between School and Brimmer streets, for consideration next month and directed city officials to work with a resident with a disabled child who addressed the board with concerns about limiting parking near her apartment.

. Listened as residents of Brian Drive, led by Ron Brody, voiced concerns about the appearance of a new four-unit apartment complex on the roadway. The city directed the code enforcement officer to meet with the concerned residents and the building owner to try to come up with a solution.