Lubec board eyes next steps in plan for town facilities

Following the recent town vote killing the municipal facilities proposal, the Lubec Select Board called an emergency meeting on January 9. The key issue is the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) of $300,000, which can only be spent on the sand/salt storage facility. The grant will expire in June if substantial progress has not been made towards construction.
During the emergency meeting the board voted to reject all bids, to separate the storage facility project from the town garage project and to request CES of Machias to prepare an engineering report detailing the work that must be done to bring the existing maintenance garage to current code requirements. The town's insurance carrier, Maine Municipal Association, has notified the town that coverage will be dropped if the needed repairs and upgrades are not performed. As this request is deemed an emergency, state law does not require solicitation of bids, according to select board Chair Carol Dennison.
To meet the June grant deadline set by the Department of Economic and Community Development, which administers the CDBG program, the town aims to present plans for the storage facility as a stand‑alone project during a town meeting, tentatively set for Saturday, February 28. Board members Dennison, Joanne Case and Fred Pierce were present for the emergency meeting; members Heather Lee and Dan Wagner were consulted by telephone.
Local residents to assist with engineering contract and design
The regularly scheduled select board meeting held on January 15 attracted 16 residents. Dennison opened the floor to discussion of the facilities proposals by asking, "Do we want to go forward with this?" When she asked for a show of hands from those opposed to moving forward, no hands went up.
Resident Bob Foster circulated a document that he had prepared titled "Engineering Bid Comparisons," which presents details on the engineering bid presented by CES and James W. Sewall Company of Old Town. When Foster pointed out, "There are huge expenses they don't tell you about," several in the audience voiced their agreement. In response to Dennison's question about these missing costs, Foster pointed out that in a building of this size the engineers are normally responsible for determining boundaries and other critical measurements rather than leaving it up to the contractor. Foster suggested that these procedures should be included in the engineering contract, as a "punch list" of things to be done by the engineer. Time does not permit changing engineering firms, said Dennison, who also observed that the contract had been signed previously and could not be voided.
Dennison concluded the storage shed discussion by asking the members of the audience who had stated that they had experience with commercial construction to present the "punch list" to Town Administrator John Sutherland by noon on January 16, so that the items could be included in the updated contract with Sewall. "We need to have the town meeting by March 15 at the very latest," she said, specifically requesting that Foster and residents Vaughn Hill, George Gardonyi and Tim Doyle work together, "along with anybody else who has something to add." It has been confirmed that the requested information was provided.
A committee was also formed to prepare a new design for the maintenance facility, with Heather Lee appointed chair. Dennison asked that anybody who wants to be included in this committee contact Lee or the town office.

Other business
In other business before the board, Ruta Jordans presented the preliminary design for a sign designating Lubec as part of the Bold Coast Scenic Byway. The byway is supported by the Washington County Council of Governments, and selected towns from Milbridge to Eastport are included on the route intended to draw visitors to places they might not otherwise see. Each sign is unique to the town where it is placed; towns are asked to contribute $1,500 towards the cost and also to provide a suitable location. Discussion followed regarding the best location for the sign, with Barbara Sellitto offering a spot at the historical society. The request was tabled pending determination of the funding source. For more information visit <boldcoastbyway.com>.
Dennison received board approval of a letter to be sent to elected representatives regarding alterations to the CDBG bid process that makes Lubec ineligible to apply for certain grants, based on the latest American Community Survey that shows the town as just below the threshold for the required number of low to moderate income households. The letter cites "inaccurate information" and points to a survey recently completed by Eastport that found the data, provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, to be "totally inaccurate" and stating that it "will hamper our community for the next five years." It asks the representatives to "see what can be done to improve the accuracy of the income figure." The letter was addressed to U.S. Senator Susan Collins and was copied to U.S. Senator Angus King, Congressman Bruce Poliquin, Governor LePage, Maine Rep. Will Tuell and Maine Senator David Burns.