NEW VINEYARD – During the select board meeting on Monday, Dec. 16, Town Clerk Michelle Beedy informed the board that one item on the agenda was irrelevant as of that day.
The town office received an email from Sara Bickford at the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency [FCEMA] on Dec. 4 explaining that efforts were being made to study and be better prepared for future flooding. The proposed solution was the installation of two United States Geological Survey [USGS] river gages, one being on the Sandy River and the other being on the Carrabassett River. The gages would measure and record the water levels and flow. This data could help predict and prevent future flooding in the area.
“It’s crucial for us to understand how flooding events impact our infrastructure and the movement of resources,” Bickford wrote, “particularly between the northern and southern parts of the county. This includes the pre-planned staging of resources such as ambulances, fire personnel, and CMP/tree utility vehicles.”
In Bickford’s email, she explained that the project is being funded by the State’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, but that the grant only pays 75% of the initial installation cost and that the county is responsible for the rest. The county commissioners and administrator decided that the Unorganized Territory [UT] would pay 50% of the required match, as it makes up half of the county’s land. The rest of the cost would be divided among the towns based on land mass, Bickford said.
Bickford informed Beedy that New Vineyard would be requested $775.93, however, Monday, before the select board meeting, Beedy learned that too many of the towns in Franklin County reported that they could not afford the requested cost for the river gages. So that payment plan has been scrapped. Instead, county taxes may see an increase in order to cover the cost of the gages, though a final decision has not been made.
In other news, the town still has $10,047.30 remaining in ARPA funds. Selectman Seth Webber said that he heard that Strong was able to use their funds on culverts. The board decided to use the funds for that, if possible. Another idea was a snowblower for Smith Hall.
