FARMINGDALE — What started as a short-term project to review and revise town tax maps is nearly complete after three years, former Selectman Eugene Moreau said this week.
“We should look at this as an investment instead of an expenditure, because there will be more accuracy,” said Moreau, who agreed to finish the project after his term expired in June.
The maps, which were most recently updated in 2005, have been digitized and measured, and will provide accurate records, he said.
Moreau has been working with Thayer Engineering Inc., of Farmingdale, and Aerial Survey and Photo Inc., of Norridgewock, on the project, as well as assessing agent Abbi Robbins. Through the process, they have resolved several property lines and ownership problems, Moreau told selectmen.
He said representatives from Central Maine Power Company have been a great help in assisting them in identifying property the power company purchased to work on the Maine Power Reliability Program, a 350-mile transmission line upgrade that will run through Farmingdale that CMP officials say is the largest power grid project ever in Maine.
Moreau told the board that benefits of the tax map project include improved accuracy, clarification of the CMP transmission corridor for revaluation, and identifying previously misidentified property as town property. In the long term, he said, it will increase accuracy and efficiency of the tax assessment process and will be a useful tool in the abatement process.
“Definitely a team effort, but every team has a leader and you’re that leader here,” Board of Selectmen Chairman David Sirois told Moreau.
Moreau updated the Board of Selectmen on the status of the project Wednesday.
In other business:
* Bowman Street resident Richard Plourde expressed concern about cross culverts on the street that have not been draining properly. Selectmen said work will soon be done on the street and they’ll look into it.
* Contractor Dale Choate was hired to ditch Bowman Street at a quoted price of $2,130.
* Easy Street resident Russell Hubbard again aired concerns about a water flowing problem from a culvert onto his property. He also addressed selectmen about the issue on Aug. 3. He told selectmen they should address an older problem before taking on the Bowman Street problem.
* The town received $158 in donations for the Flags Across Farmingdale project.
* Selectman Rickey McKenna told the board the four “Welcome to Farmingdale” signs have been installed on Maine Avenue and Hallowell-Litchfield Road.
Joyce Grondin is a Kennebec Journal correspondent who lives in Augusta.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
