EAST MILLINOCKET – Three Katahdin region towns are warming to the idea of establishing community warming centers.

The Joint Municipal Elected Officials Board took no votes, but expressed interest during a meeting Wednesday in creating places in East Millinocket, Medway and Millinocket for residents to get warm and socialize for several hours a day through the winter.

The centers would allow residents to save heating money by lowering their thermostats for a few hours a day while they visit the centers, said Mark Scally, chairman of the Board of Selectmen. Towns could rotate warming center days and take their residents to centers on days they are in other towns.

“We kind of tentatively approved this in East Millinocket and we are asking the other folks if they are willing to do something in the other communities,” Selectman Mark Marston said during the meeting. “This is a big opportunity for people to get [funding] for this.”

Medway officials also indicated support.

Millinocket Town Councilors Jimmy Busque and Scott Gonya questioned whether residents were interested in going to warming centers. Busque wondered whether turning down a thermostat for a few hours would actually save money “or would they just burn the same amount of money catching up?”

“I am not against the idea,” Gonya said, “but I am leaning more towards setting up a separate fund for heating oil and have a pool of money so that people who are struggling to pay their bills would be able to [get help]. Has this actually worked in other places?”

Lincoln has a heating-oil account for residents who do not qualify for aid from other programs.

The board told Frank Clukey, recreational director for the three towns, to investigate available grants, estimating costs and ensuring that other community relief efforts do not overlap.

Millinocket’s Town Council set aside $10,000 last week for possible warming center funding and council Chairman Wallace Paul said the council is interested in the idea.

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