RANGELEY — The Board of Selectmen on Monday approved a $10,000 state housing grant, made several town appointments, received project updates and voted to limit future meetings to two hours after enduring multiple sessions recently that ran more than three hours.
The board postponed a review of the town’s personnel policy and a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant application, pushing the proposed Dark Sky initiative, designed to promote astrotourism and the viewing of the night sky, into next year.
RHR Smith & Co., the Buxton-based accounting firm, presented its town audit draft to the board, which accepted the draft and authorized the town manager to sign the representation letter, showing that the town’s total governmental net position — assets minus liabilities — increased by $172,688, bringing its net position from $34.29 million to $34.46 million.
According to the audit, General Fund revenues exceeded the budget by about $400,000, while expenditures came in about $325,000 below budget, resulting in a positive adjustment of $19,079.
The board voted to accept a $10,000 Housing Opportunity Program (HOP) Municipal Ordinance Development Grant from the state to update the town’s Chapter 38 land use ordinance in compliance with recently enacted Maine housing laws. Consultant Donna Larson Kane will lead the project, which is funded through July 31, 2027.
Selectmen filled two vacancies by appointing Brian St. Louis, who brings 21 years of experience on the Planning Board, Ordinance Committee and Comprehensive Plan Committee, to the Zoning Board of Appeals, and former Town Clerk Tricia Roy to a three-year term on the Cemetery Committee.
Town Manager Joe Roach reported to the board that he contacted Regional Traffic Engineer Timothy Soucie of the Maine Department of Transportation about installing a speed feedback sign — an electronic display showing drivers their current speed — on Stratton Road (Route 16 South). Soucie said the request must be deferred to 2027 because all sign allocations for 2026 are fully committed, prompting Roach to plan a formal submission for next year.
The Airport Commission is reevaluating options for the Apron Rehabilitation Project after receiving a single bid of nearly $800,000, which far exceeds the roughly $425,000 currently available through the town’s Airport Infrastructure Grant Program fund.
Voters are scheduled to decide on the warrant articles by secret ballot during a special town meeting from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the Town Office.
Among the items on the ballot, one article asks voters to consider spending $65,600 from the undesignated fund balance for capital vehicle purchases to replace the town’s 2017 Ford Police Interceptor, which has been driven about 120,000 miles.
Another asks voters to consider raising $231,518 for planning and code enforcement. The Board of Selectmen unanimously recommended the expenditure, while the Budget Committee endorsed it by a 4-2 vote.
The board’s annual tax commitment workshop is slated for Wednesday, Aug. 19.
