FARMINGTON – Members of the selectboard met Tuesday night to discuss various expenditures, award several bids and approve a new Board of Appeals and Budget Committee member.
Wayne Kinney was unanimously approved by selectmen as an alternate member for the for both the Board of Appeals as well as the Budget Committee. Kinney is recently retired after more than twenty years of working in a government position in Oregon.
“I have the time and the energy and I would like to be useful,” Kinney said to board members.
September has been officially declared Childhood Cancer Awareness Month after being proposed to board members by a local family. In a letter written to board members, mother Tabaitha Steward reported that 400 children in Maine are currently being treated for cancer. By declaring September a month of awareness, the town of Farmington shows support to families both local and not struggling with pediatric cancer.
A new multi-use dump truck for the Public Works Department is being purchased from the lowest bidder of O’Connor Truck out of Augusta at the price of $177,693. Residents of the town passed an increase of $250,000 in the department’s budget at the annual meeting back in March, in preparation for the purchase of the truck.
Director Philip Hutchins reported in March that the town’s fleet consists of 10 plows that are responsible for 120 miles of winter road maintenance. Many of the front line plows are more than 15 years old, doing up to 30 hours of work during large storms. Breakdowns are a common occurrence and one Public Works employee referred to the machinery as an embarrassment to the town at the annual town meeting.
The new truck is scheduled to be delivered by mid-November.
Town Manager Richard Davis clarified that any residents wishing to cast an absentee ballot for the upcoming August 3 vote on the RSU 9 school budget should do so by Friday. The polls could not officially open until today, following last night’s meeting, and ballots must be in two days prior to voting day. Residents have from today until Friday to submit absentee votes.
We’re thrilled to see the town going gold in September for pediatric cancer awareness. I hope to see our school district go gold in September as well.
It is my understanding that Absentee ballots “may be requested until the 3rd business day prior to the election…” and ” You may vote absentee at the clerk’s office as soon as absentee ballots are available. To be counted, voted absentee ballots must be received by the municipal clerk by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.”
This information is available on the maine.gov election page. I believe that to be in compliance, Farmington voters would still be able to pick up a ballot and vote in person, on Monday 7/31. I will clarify this with the Town clerk tomorrow but would hate for voters to be misinformed about when and where they can vote.