Oxford board awards paving bid, signs septic order for 7 Village Lane

[0:00] Select Board Chair: You can make honey badgers now. [0:01] Selectman: You can make her a badger, isn't it? [0:03] Town Manager/Administrator: Is that all right? Yeah. I'll make no [0:14] Select Board Chair: order. [0:17] Selectman: I pledge allegiance [0:22] Town Manager/Administrator: to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, [0:27] Select Board Chair: one nation under God, for three minutes. Discussion? All in favor? her this [0:51] Public commenter: is the agenda i have nothing sir public comment so [0:57] Select Board Chair: excuse me public comments [0:59] Selectman: david blockhead steve phil road there's a couple of questions tonight probably the department heads could answer a few selectmen don't mind but it's up to you i'm just checking to see where we're at with that hundred thousand that was approved for the cascade for the fire department if we've gotten bids or done anything for that yet your [1:19] Town Manager/Administrator: quick answer on that yeah that's that was approved in town meeting frankly we're we're waiting until the first round of tax payments to start coming through so we have cash on hand and then you're going to see the fire chief put together the necessary quotes and rp stuff so that's fine just checking [1:35] Selectman: then i got one more on the highway side what does the highway do for pre -checks on the equipment and how we documenting that we're just out of curiosity i [1:51] Select Board Chair: have a checklist for all my dump trucks yeah so as long as any piece of equipment has a separate checklist and it dies [1:57] Selectman: and you check them in the morning in the afternoon okay i just curious i used your construction so i just want to see how you guys did it yeah and then my last thing with that is i believe the town has a no smoking policy but we just stick with that and make sure we're not smoking in the town equipment i appreciate that too that's all i got tonight mike [2:18] Lorraine Britain, public commenter: so my name is lorraine britain and i live at 13 village lane i see we've got we're going to talk about seven village lane but i just gotta say i walk by the end because i live right next door and i like to walk around my used to be nice neighborhood and it stinks it stinks and it's embarrassing to have people come to my house and it galls me to have to pay taxes on a house that i could not sell if i wanted to and that's all i have to say anybody [2:51] Select Board Chair: else seeing none [2:57] Selectman: business items 5-1 review award 2026 roadway paving bid [3:04] Town Manager/Administrator: rob from my engineering here to review the roadways thank you adam good evening everyone So we put out your third contract from your road bond a few weeks ago. This was for paving, and the intent is to allow a payment contract to possibly get going this fall if they have capacity, but for the completion of next July 30th, of next summer. After we just recently completed the ditching and the culverts on the roads that were paid there. So we had seven bit, you received seven bids, fairly competitive. The bottom two were quite close, ranging from 1.393 million to 1.8 million. I think you all have the packet with more information than you probably want to try to look at, all the bids broken down. You have 16 different streets in this package, very large bit package. That's been our plan, came in on the budget. So the low bid was 1 million 393 120. and then there was a 1.429 and 1.43 that's one summary ellen do you have any questions [4:24] Selectman: I'd be glad to answer them. Do you have a recommendation? I've worked with six out of [4:30] Town Manager/Administrator: these seven bidders over the past successfully, so my recommendation would be to go with [4:40] Selectman: and they met all the bid specs. Yes. What did you say they had all the good spots? Robert as far as you're concerned, did everybody meet all the good specs? Yes, there's nothing we have to worry about. Nothing. What, do we have left after this long that we've taken out? We're going to have surplus [5:06] Town Manager/Administrator: rough numbers, one thousand. Maybe we met the other day talking about potential add-ons next year. We're still contract two, the ditching and culverts. We just made the final payment today. That came in just a little over budget, not much, 20 000. And then East Oxford Road, they're finishing, Spencer Pavements finishing that today, actually driveways and shoulders next. So I'll have a final number on that probably within a couple weeks. So we'll have a pretty good handle, you know. And of course everything that we're talking about tonight, the paving, is all based on estimated tonnage. Quantity is going to change. So what you avoid tonight won't be the final number, but generally speaking it's pretty close. So the next step will be to decide what you want to do with any surplus next year. We've talked about a few streets in town, maybe extending some of the pavement that we're doing. There's partial sections of roadways. It's always good if you can do a whole road. So we talked about a few of those. You have A bridge that you share with the town of Hebron that needs to be replaced, stream crossing could be another box holder that would be a 50 share potentially. That'd be something that maybe should be put on the table, and then anything else the board might wish to attack, Rob. And I discussed this once this is awarded and once we get underway and start seeing that costs are coming in, you know where we think they're going to come in, that would be the time to come back and we'll have some proposals, see what. More loss today, did any, I mean I know it wasn't as a bit, do you think that any of them would be able to get a jump on any of these as well? I didn't ask the question not knowing who you wish to award it to, I didn't want to start speaking out of school to contractors, so I have no idea. It's getting late as you know, it's getting cold quick. We do have two of the roadways are paving on gravel based paving, so potentially somebody to come in and pay them on gravel a little later in the year and surface. Payment next year, so it depends on their capacity questions. [7:24] Selectman: Any emotions we. [7:33] Select Board Chair: Could do the gravel sections this year for sure, as far as doing any of the overlays it would probably be, it's hard to say. [8:38] Selectman: All the sides, I mean we've seen them do good work, do we have any ability to negotiate after. You put the video you. [8:52] Town Manager/Administrator: Can negotiate with any bidders, verbiage is in the basically. Recapping the last time we had this discussion, the last contract is going to have to worry with me, but town reserves the right to reject any and all bids and within the best interest of the town, could you manage that bid 36. [9:29] Select Board Chair: 000 roughly 36 000, yeah sure one. [9:35] Selectman: More question real quick, bro, explain. [9:38] Town Manager/Administrator: To me it's based on the final tenant so variable, so what happens Phil when we put these up to bid, they're all on my estimates, everyone's bidding on the same numbers, gotcha, okay, so everyone's bidding on the same items, yeah, at the end of the day I typically will off my estimates by 10 percent to make sure the budget's good, things typically come in under budget a little less tonnage, but what they put on the road they'll give us the tonnage slips and that's what we made you. [10:16] Select Board Chair: Can match it, do you think, yeah 36 000 on 148, yeah you. [10:28] Selectman: Would make a motion, I think. Just in the motion you might put for the total of one point three nine three one two. I think again. Just to reiterate for people that might not have been here, this isn't something that is new. It's not because the representative is sitting here. In the past, the town has shown favor to residents of the town and own businesses, you know, the residents of the town. I can remember back long before I was on the board when we cut up to town farm, we did the same thing to the logger up there. He came in, that there were more, but we went with them because they were resident. So if I remember correctly, the number was like three or five percent. Mathematicians, I think, were probably in that wheelhouse anyway, and then the contract has agreed to match the [11:53] Select Board Chair: low price, so I'd be okay with it. Any other discussion? All those in favor, thank you. Thank And [12:07] Town Manager/Administrator: it is within 5% of total. Yeah. [12:19] Select Board Chair: Five, two, one. This one's pretty straightforward. [12:25] Town Manager/Administrator: We got two bits for 3,000 yards of thin, 48, 2D Enterprises Inc., 48,600 delivered, PCI materials, 45,900. You have copies of the bits in your materials. We have used DCI in the past, and I think I can speak for Jim. They've had good product. Yeah. So go with DCI materials for 45.9. [13:01] Select Board Chair: Discussion all in favor 5, [13:08] Selectman: 3 review sign municipal officers ordered a remedy and malfunctioning wastewater disposal in 7 village lane. [13:18] Town Manager/Administrator: So let's go ahead and kick it off, I guess. So real quick, 7 village lane code enforcement has been working on some challenges of that location. He's issues a violation notice over there for the condition of the property. The other issue that's come up is the malfunctioning septic system, which is why we're here tonight having this discussion. I'm assuming the board is all familiar with the municipal officer's order that can be issued that gives notification to the owners and the person of the residents that they have 10 days to fix the malfunctioning septic system or show proof that it's taken care of and functioning properly. After that 10 days, if that fails to happen, the town code enforcement officer and can bring in a expert, if you will, something who's familiar septic systems to go and look at the system to identify what the problem is, and then even further than that, get a game plan together on how to fix it. According to state law, the town can move forward with fixing that system And whatever cost there is for fixing the system will be leaned against the property, so it'll be assessed like a special tax, so that in the future, if they don't pay that during the next tax cycle, we could potentially even foreclose on the property as we're operating on the gate taxes. So just that Shane has anything he wants to add, but that's in a nutshell. Straightforward, pretty straightforward. An update, Ricky, the police chief and I went out there earlier this week, Monday, and as you had, you had asked me to let the landowner, the homeowner and the occupants know tonight's meeting. Danielle has come, her mom, Teresa had to work. She was unable to be here tonight. Danielle and I had a very long talk regarding situation over there. A certified letter was sent late last week. It's a second notice regarding not the septic, but the other violations that are currently going on there. I had a conversation with the people that own the camper that's on the property. They reassured me that they're taking every step they can to get that camper offsite and moving on. So that's where we're at right now. Well, [16:04] Selectman: Unfortunately, my understanding is we've heard this before, but both this problem is going to be taken care of, so that's, that's why we're here, right? We're here because the problem is here. So I guess this is a step in the direction of the board maybe moving this along a little bit. Yeah, go Britain, 13 Village Lane. Do I move you? I understand, I could be wrong on this, I did down, download the code because I understand we can't even have like one junk car in the property, much less four. Is that correct? I don't, I guess I'm asking that it should be addressed. Sure. The code enforcement officer is doing everything he can to enforce anything, every other property. Now I believe he probably knows better than I do. I think you can have no more than two unregistered vehicles, whether they're junk or whether they're just unregistered. [17:15] Town Manager/Administrator: I believe it's three unregistered motor vehicles. We, I could be wrong, and maybe to it, I have to refresh my memory. I did have a conversation, the owner of the camper owns the other two vehicles or three vehicles are there. The red one, technically that's the only vehicle that Danielle owns. It's on my property. The other vehicles are kind of attached to the camper, and I've been assured that once that camper is gone, those vehicles are going with it. Did [17:49] Selectman: they give you any timeline on one of that? [Town Manager/Administrator: Not really, no.] No, okay, I guess I don't quite understand. I understand what you're saying, but I guess I don't understand how that applies. Like the fact of the matter is there's three vehicles, they're inoperable, regardless whose they are. I mean, we're not going to go around everyone has three vehicles and check see if it's theirs or their buddies or their aunts from Wyoming or [18:19] Town Manager/Administrator: Right, I mean, if they're there they're there. No, I do believe one of the vehicles that showed up there since the camper's been there, I don't think, I think one of them maybe even two may be unregistered. I didn't get that close to them to check the last time me were there. If they're registered then legal as far as code is concerned, they're not doing anything. They just came up in conversation because you know it's of the condition of the property and that just adds to it and raises more questions so We had a discussion about those [18:57] Selectman: vehicles being there. All right, so I'm not, I appreciate the willingness of talking to you, but based on what we've heard about this property and kind of goes back to what Phil said, the reason we hear is because that's all it's been is talk or no talk. So with no firm deadline of when they're getting out or any idea, I mean, are they still just pacifying the situation? So after this next notice [19:23] Town Manager/Administrator: us if there's no significant or meaningful progress or evidence thereof of any of the progress taking place, then we, it will, it's time for me to step it up [19:39] Selectman: And that's what we're discussing with that is signing this municipal letter. It gives them 10 [19:45] Town Manager/Administrator: days and that's what the law says. And to reiterate, this letter doesn't address the other because there's two ongoing issues in the property, they're running parallel. You have the property maintenance violations with the trash, the condition of the property, and then you have the malfunctioning septic system. I mean, what should be going as soon as we can [20:14] Selectman: The motion is to sign the letter tonight and that's the second. I have further discussion so [20:29] Town Manager/Administrator: Just for clarification on what he's talking about, the condition of the property outside of the septic system, you're on notice number two, correct? So there's three notices that have to go out. The next one will be also a 30-day notice. At the expiration of that third 30-day notice, if he fails to get compliance, he's going to be coming back here to this board and we're going to be talking about what next steps that we're going to take, and one of those next steps can be compelling them to either clean The property or the town actually doing the cleanup itself. We've done that before, other properties in the past, and when that's done, there's an assessment of us again. Similar to the septic piece, there's an assessment of a special tax. It gets us, you know, put on the property and so forth. But I think that if we don't see any action there, then that's [21:18] Selectman: what you're going to see out of the code officer. So we're currently on notice number two, and that's a 30-day notice. You know when that expires off the top of your head? And if you don't, you can get that to us next day or so. Clock's ticking for everybody involved. So once that 30 days is up, we'll move right in the next 30 days if we have to and continue on pressing the issue. No blame, or this blame is not the right word. I feel for the neighbors. A lot of people would handle this a lot different ways around the state of Maine, and I commend you for coming here in front of us knowing hopefully you realize our hands are tied somewhat. It hasn't, this issue hasn't come to the board as long as it's been going on. No excuses for prior code enforcement. We're, we're going to get this fixed one way or the other. That's all I can tell you very quickly. [22:33] Public commenter: Thank you for bringing it to attention and continuing to address it. Thank you for your support. I'm just curious, does the next 30 days, like if it gets to a certain time of the year, is that going to be something that wouldn't allow for further things because it's winter in Maine, and I know there's other things that happen in Maine like you can't shut off electricity, etc. So I don't know, would that affect the timeline? Would be affected by weather at all on the next 30-day [23:03] Selectman: the process, if you know or don't know, we can get back to them because I don't know. Electricity [23:11] Town Manager/Administrator: right now is an issue because there hasn't been electricity for three years on the property. I don't foresee any reason, I don't foresee an issue moving forward regardless of the time of year. [23:24] Public commenter: Okay, and then just one other question, why wouldn't the house be condemned versus us cleaning it up for them? I moved there four years ago and her family came and cleaned it up for them and it's right back, if not worse. So I'm just confused how you condemn a property, what does that take versus the town putting resources into that property so we [23:48] Town Manager/Administrator: Can't sit here in this room without looking at the property, and I'm not going to say, and I don't think the board of the codex is going to say, we're going to condemn the property. I can assure you that when the code officer is there and he's taking care of this septic issue, that his eyes are going to be open and looking at the condition of the of the whole place. If he feels like, and the health officer feels like, they're encountering things that would meet the dangerous building criteria, that's going to come back to this board because the board of selection has the ability to hold a public hearing to determine whether or not a building is unsafe or condemnable, whatever term you want to use. So if he finds, you know, evidence of that, it will be back in front of this board for further discussion. I just, I'm careful not to jump to conclusions. [24:33] Public commenter: And you said that was called what? Cause then I can look it up like that. [24:36] Town Manager/Administrator: I believe in state sessions, like unsafe building. Okay. I believe. [24:39] Selectman: Yeah. We did it a couple of years ago on a different building. It is a process. Yeah. It's a timeline that you've got to go through. [24:45] Public commenter: Just wasn't sure what the difference was in needs notices versus what's a. [24:50] Town Manager/Administrator: If you reach out to shane or I, 1 of us can email you the statute. I'm sorry. I can't recollect [24:58] Selectman: anything else from the board on this meeting. Anything else from the public on this. Seeing a department head, I didn't have a manager updates. [25:15] Town Manager/Administrator: Yeah, just a couple of quick things I did send out an email direct director Kayla has given her 2 week notice. So she'll only be with us until the next month, sad to see her go. Cindy her assistant over there has agreed to be the acting rec director for the interim, and I'm going to be advertising shortly for the director's position. We also have an opening over the transfer station that has come up that we're going to be advertising for shortly, and we're a little off on our selection schedule. So just a reminder that the next schedule, the next selections meeting is on October 1 at 6pm, which is a normal Thursday for us. Also, I talked to the chairman about having the TLEA workshop that we've kind of talked about in the past. We all still on board with doing the workshop. I'm thinking that communicated with TLEA folks about October 20th, is that feel okay to you guys? 22nd, excuse me, 22nd, yep. Thank you for directing. Yeah, so October 22nd would be great. [26:43] Selectman: Here. We meet on the 1st and the 15th. I'm [26:51] Town Manager/Administrator: going to be the 1st and the 15th. [26:52] Selectman: I'm not opposed to having a special meeting on the 22nd if that's what we need to do, or if we can handle it on the 15th. [27:00] Town Manager/Administrator: You guys are correct, 15th. I clearly don't know what month it is, so. October's next week. Yeah, all right, so the 50 are you guys okay with that? The second meeting on any [27:19] Selectman: other select? Right? So I'm warning. So [27:36] Town Manager/Administrator: this is that septic order. We talked about look at your ap's. The. Sore payment water bond payment service to be done by.