China committee named for emergency services

by Mary Grow

The China select board’s promised discussion of the town’s emergency services brought more than a dozen fire and rescue personnel to the Dec. 1 board meeting and led to the creation of a committee to collect information and make recommendations.

Committee members will include the town’s three fire chiefs, Joel Nelson, in China Village, Richard Morse, in South China and William Van Wickler, in Weeks Mills; rescue chief Benjamin Loubier; and select board members Edwin Bailey and Blane Casey.

Other residents are welcome to join the committee; those interested should contact the town office. Select board members plan to formally appoint committee members at their Jan. 12, 2026, meeting and to schedule the first committee meeting soon thereafter.

Morse said in his opinion, changing to a municipal department would be more expensive – no one disagreed – and is not necessary: the existing system works. Furthermore, the town’s geography makes having three separate fire stations desirable for rapid responses.

China Village department member William Rancourt commented that vehicles are aging – the China Village department has been trying for several years to find grant or other money to replace a 1990 tanker – and members are aging.

Select board chairman Brent Chesley asked how long the existing system will continue to work, as China’s population increases. Bailey pointed out that agreeing on and implementing any change will take several years, and said he considers it “irresponsible not to start thinking about it.”

The group discussed advantages and disadvantages of the present system; potential grants and other funding sources; whether to employ a consultant to help with the deliberations; and more issues. They left decisions to the new committee.

In other business, the usually-routine process of paying bills was not routine Dec. 1: board members unanimously refused to approve $2,000 to renew the contract with TextMyGov for another year.

Hapgood explained that China contracted with the Utah-based company three years ago. Its purpose is twofold, to let town officials send notices to people who sign up and to let residents notify town officials 24 hours a day, for example of a road problem.

Some residents do report to the town, Hapgood said. Due to town office staff changes, there has been little outgoing communication. When she told the company she intended to drop the service instead of paying the 2026 bill, she learned there is a required 60-day notice (in small print at the bottom of a page, she said).

After discussion, board members decided they would refuse payment and see what happens. They unanimously approved a two-weeks’ expenditure total of $90,898.04, $2,000 less than the original request.

Board members approved the manager’s recommended updates to several town policies. They raised two new issues:

— Chesley, with Bailey and Casey in agreement, questioned continuing the $2 fee for windshield stickers allowing admission to the transfer station. They claimed residents object. Hapgood said the fee “barely” covers the cost of the stickers, and staff selling them seldom hear complaints.
— Bailey said two residents had asked about having the “Yield” sign at the intersection of Dutton Pond and Pleasantview Ridge roads replaced with a “Stop” sign, citing near-accidents as speeding drivers failed to yield. Hapgood will find out whether the decision is the town’s or the state’s.

Hapgood’s reports included:

— 2026 transfer station stickers are available at the China town office, and batches were to be delivered to the transfer station and the Palermo town office on Dec. 2 to be sold at those locations.
— The work on Town Landing Road, in South China, was finished; there had already been slight damage to the improved boat-launch area.
— The town trucks had their plows and sanders on, and the road crew had been out dealing with slippery roads at 2 a.m. on Dec. 1.
— For the Christmas holiday, all town departments will close at noon Wednesday, Dec. 24, and be closed all day Dec. 25. For new year’s, departments will close at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 31, and remain closed Jan. 1, 2026.

The December select board meetings are scheduled for Monday evenings, Dec. 15 and Dec. 29.