Vassalboro select board authorizes church demolition

Following an executive session, Vassalboro select board unanimously authorized Town Manager Mary Sabins to negotiate and sign a contract to have the building taken down and the remains taken away. (The Town Line file photo by Roland D. Hallee)

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro select board members began their June 9 meeting with a party, recognizing retiring board chairman Robert Browne’s final meeting.

After the cake and cold drinks, they went into executive session with town attorney Kristin Collins to discuss demolition of the former church in North Vassalboro.

Vassalboro select board chairman Rob Browne was recognized at his final board meeting. (photo courtesy of Mary Sabins)

After the executive session, they unanimously authorized Town Manager Mary Sabins to negotiate and sign a contract to have the building taken down and the remains taken away. The focus will be on removing the building, which has been declared dangerous; accumulated items on the grounds will be moved as necessary to provide access to the building.

Board members discussed details like making sure property-owner Chad Caron is notified and providing a police escort for the demolition contractor. North Vassalboro resident Raymond Breton urged caution around the many sharp, heavy and damaged objects on the lot.

Caron reportedly has an alternative storage area on Reynolds Road. Select board member Barbara Redmond said he will be given reasonable time to move more things there if he wants to.

The land will remain Caron’s, Redmond said. The town will bill him for demolition costs.

In other business June 9, by a unanimous vote select board members adopted the Compensation Administration Policy they discussed earlier in the year, establishing a salary scale for town employees.

Sabins reported the contracts for hauling bulky waste and municipal solid waste (MSW) from the transfer station to disposal sites expire in August. She proposed either seeking new bids, or negotiating with the current contractors for one-year extensions.

Sabins said transfer station manager George Hamar is satisfied with the current haulers, and as far as she knows they are satisfied. Select board members unanimously authorized her to negotiate for one-year contract extensions.

North Vassalboro resident Lauchlin Titus asked Sabins to ask haulers to remind their drivers to obey speed limits. Sabins said she had done so once years ago without a problem.

Sabins shared another truck-related issue raised by fire department members: a tractor-trailer intermittently parked near the food pantry and the North Vassalboro fire station threatens to damage fresh pavement. Police Chief Mark Brown intends to talk with the driver.

Select board member Chris French asked Brown for statistics on crime in Vassalboro, leading to a discussion of whether it is time to repeat the neighborhood watch type program organized in North Vassalboro about a decade ago. Brown urged residents to report suspicious activities to law enforcement professional and to leave action to them.

Vassalboro Legion Post Commander Tom Richards raised another North Vassalboro question: who owns the flagpole that stands with the stone monuments in front of the former North Vassalboro school, former town office and former health center? Breton now owns the land and building.

Richards said the Legion Post replaced the flagpole recently. Having little money and no fund-raising plans – there are only about 25 members, “and you’re looking at about the youngest one,” Richards explained – the Post had billed the town.

At Sabins’ suggestion, select board members approved closing the transfer station Sunday, June 19, for the new Juneteenth holiday. The town office will be closed Monday, June 20, to observe the holiday.

The next regular Vassalboro select board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 23.