‘Speaking potties’: Downtown restroom concepts aired
This summer season, Wiscasset will open Scout Corridor’s bogs to the general public. Selectmen’s choice March 15 is the newest flip in a longtime native matter, one City Supervisor Dennis Simmons needs the board to resolve. Simmons mentioned downtown lavatory concepts have been “tossed round” for years and he doesn’t need that to proceed one other 15 years. “I need some path. What do you guys need to do? Someone decide right here.”
He mentioned it’s time for a plan, not one interim manner after one other that can complete many 1000’s of {dollars} “as a result of we didn’t say, ‘Right here’s the place we wish it, get it designed, get it finished.’”
Selectman Terry Heller is the board’s liaison to the waterfront committee that proposed getting a unit of a number of bogs for downtown and upgrading and selling the bogs within the town-owned Scout Corridor as public restrooms. “I’ve been speaking potties for about six months now,” and shopping for the $8,000 unit is the primary concept that has appealed to her, Heller mentioned within the assembly on the city workplace and on Zoom and YouTube. She mentioned it will be nicer than the transportable bogs Simmons mentioned the city rents – final yr, for $3,980. And the unit may go on Most important Road Pier as a substitute of close to it, Heller mentioned.
Chair Sarah Whitfield mentioned she didn’t really need bogs on the pier. “That takes away from the pier, for me personally.” She favored the established order plus the bogs at Scout Corridor. Heller known as the transportable bogs messy. Resident Kim Dolce known as them nasty. She mentioned the city’s bogs on the harbor grasp’s workplace and those at Scout Corridor are sufficient. Relying on what the city does, it may go from being the prettiest village to the prettiest pit cease, Dolce mentioned.
Selectman Pam Dunning prompt the city ask the state for the sketches it drew up years in the past for a boardwalk undertaking. She mentioned these included bogs and will save on engineering Simmons mentioned a plan would wish.
Whitfield mentioned the board and committee may discuss extra on bogs in capital finances talks.
On the board’s request, Simmons will look into getting a vendor for charging stations for electrical automobiles. In response to a proposal Whitfield learn from, New Jersey-based Greenspot may construct a station on a public proper of manner, preserve and market the station and share the take with the city.
The board delay deciding on Maine Artwork Gallery’s proposed 20-year lease of the previous Wiscasset Academy, licensed Simmons to signal the web power billing contract with Ameresco, accepted Island Institute’s $7,500 for the broadband committee and authorized liquor licenses for Midcoast Provisions, 65 Gardiner Street, and Maine Tasting Middle, 506 Outdated Tub Street.
On the $1 a yr gallery lease, Heller mentioned it was a very good contract, OK’d by the city’s and gallery’s attorneys and honoring the gallery’s 60 years of shorter leases there. Selectmen prompt if it famous the taxes or different sum the city waives, which may assist the gallery get grants, a important purpose of increasing the lease from its traditional 5 years. Selectman Pam Dunning requested for the lease to say the gallery will present yearly monetary reviews. And resident Jim Kochan raised legal responsibility and different considerations.
Selectmen rejected a lone, $1,923,000 bid from Hagar Enterprises of Damariscotta for the Outdated Ferry Street stream crossing culvert undertaking.
Simmons mentioned in an e-mail response to questions March 16, the city has $525,000 put aside for the undertaking from capital reserves, and has a $125,000 state grant. “Given how the value of the whole lot has gone (up), we anticipated the bid to exceed the quantity we had however the bid was even larger than we anticipated.” Wiscasset Newspaper has sought remark from the agency.
