Resident presses for independent review of dam cost figures; committee to hire engineer

George Borowsky, a Surry resident, told the Select Board on March 19 that a recent newspaper item quoted figures — roughly $70,000 a year in maintenance and about $400,000 in remedial work — for local dams and asked whether those numbers were accurate. Borowsky said documents provided by Bucksport Mill LLC in late February reference an engineering assessment done about five to six years ago but the town does not know whether the estimate covered a single dam or all three and whether the numbers reflect current conditions.

The board said the Four Town Dam Committee will hire an independent engineer to review the operation, maintenance and inspection data Bucksport Mill LLC supplied so the town can verify the figures. Chair Nina Milliken had earlier told board members that members of the Four Town Dam Committee and lake associations should be in Augusta on March 31 to testify if legislators ask questions about the bill being introduced to create a quasi‑municipal entity to manage, own and operate the dams.

Why it matters: officials and residents are preparing for potential state action to change the ownership or governance of local dams. Accurate, third‑party engineering assessments are a typical step before any transfer or change in governance to establish a baseline for repair needs, liability and potential costs.

What happened next: the Select Board and dam committee committed to contracting an engineer to examine the maintenance and inspection records and provide an independent assessment prior to legislative hearings. The committee’s testimony in Augusta was flagged for March 31; the board also discussed coordinating local lake associations for that appearance.

The hearing record does not include a formal vote authorizing a specific contract amount; that procurement and any related contract will be subject to future board action.