Rumford accepts FEMA technical assistance; approves donated excavator and routine purchases

Town Manager O'Keefe told the selectpersons the town was awarded a technical assistance grant under the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide engineering support to evaluate local flood-control infrastructure. O'Keefe said the evaluation will help the town consider longer-term flood-control changes.

Department Head Roberts briefed the board on planned road work, saying milling on Lincoln Avenue, Penobscot Street and Somerset Street will begin next Thursday and Friday after a contractor’s equipment failure; paving is scheduled for Aug. 19 to complete work before school starts. Roberts said the town cannot post 'No through traffic' signs on Wyman Hill because the town owns half the road and the state owns the other half. He also said crews can remove the guard rail on Canal Street at any time and are repairing flood damage on Beliveau.

The board approved administrative items and purchases, typically on unanimous votes: approval of minutes from July 3 (5-0); Warrant #3 (5-0); a catering permit for The Lure (item 8B) (5-0); acquisition of a Case CX57C mini excavator funded by a $98,000 donation from Portland Natural Gas Line (motion passed 5-0); acquisition of a code enforcement truck (5-0); and authorization for the Town Manager to identify $5,000 for the River Valley Community Association (5-0). The minutes record motions and seconders for each item but do not provide individual roll-call votes.

The board held an executive session earlier in the evening for a personnel matter under 1 M.R.S. §405(6)(A); it convened that session at 5:38 p.m. and exited at 6:18 p.m. The public meeting convened at 6:00 p.m. and adjourned at 7:00 p.m.