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Select Board tables boardwalk and Whitewater Park agreements, adds environmental-mitigation requirement and appoints NEPA reviewer
Summary
Skowhegan’s Select Board voted unanimously to table two contract items for further legal review, amended a related agreement to require Main Street Skowhegan to raise funds for environmental mitigation, and appointed Brian Bellavue to review and approve NEPA for the HUD grant supporting the River Park project.
The Skowhegan Select Board voted Sept. 23 to table two agenda items related to the boardwalk and Whitewater Park to allow further contract and legal review, then amended a separate item to require Main Street Skowhegan to raise funds to cover environmental mitigation and to work with contractors and engineers to meet state and federal permit conditions.
Chair moved to table items 13 and 14 so the town and Main Street could “tighten [the contracts] up and make sure that they will work for the town and for Main Street” and to seek further legal review before proceeding. Kevin moved and Ethan seconded; the motion carried 5–0.
Christina, speaking for Main Street interests, told the board she had discussed signing a permit that evening to keep the project moving at the federal level and emphasized ongoing fundraising and long-standing community support for the project. “We are still fully committed to moving this project forward,” she said at the meeting.
The board then approved an amendment to item 16 adding language that Main Street Skowhegan will “raise funds to cover the cost of environmental mitigation and will work with contractors, engineers, and the project team to ensure that all environmental mitigation tasks are completed in accordance with state and federal permits.” The amendment (and the removal of a clerical item 17) passed 5–0.
Separately, the board moved to item 15 and appointed Brian Bellavue as the town’s authorized reviewer to approve National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents required for the HUD grant tied to River Park. Brian’s appointment was approved 5–0.
The board described the actions as administrative and precautionary steps intended to align contract terms with federal permitting requirements and to protect the town’s obligations; no funding reallocation or final contract approvals were made that evening. The Select Board said it expects to revisit the items at the next meeting after additional legal review and negotiation on contract terms.
