Mexico seeking $500K grant

MEXICO -- Following a 25-minute public hearing, selectmen authorized Town Manager John Madigan to submit an application for a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant.

The money will go toward a $1.3 million road, sewer and water project for Alder and South Main streets that would get underway in late spring.

At the Feb. 28 hearing, Madigan said, "“This would be a major reconstruction and major rebuild. There's a lot of work going into this because of the steepness.”

The town has already had several streets reconstructed for water, sewer and highway work, including Osgood Avenue, which had been included in the first attempt for a CDBG grant, which was unsuccessful. Monies for this came out of a $2.5 million bond acquired last year.

Madigan also displayed a cast-iron pipe pulled from Osgood Avenue showing a great amount of mineral deposits that restrict flow. He said most pipes in the town are around a century old.

Of the grant, $119,540 would go for sewer work, $217,370 for water work, and $163,090 for storm drains. The water and sewer districts are each paying $100,000, with the town paying $612,605 from their bond for the road project.

They would also be constructing a new retaining wall at the end of South Main and Alder streets.

In other business, selectmen again tabled action on the renewal of the Brandy Pond, LLC trailer park license. Code Enforcement Officer Dave Errington recommended no action after talking with park owner Russell Oakes.

Errington said he advised Oakes about taking care of issues in the park more quickly. Then, he learned that the sewer had been leaking in the brook for the past couple of weeks. "I've asked him to fix that immediately. If not fized right away, I'll report it to the DEP."

At the prior meeting, Madigan said that while Oakes has paid for the water bill, he owes $24,423 for sewer and $35,506 in taxes. "He owes the town $60,000. He has not paid taxes in three years."

The board said action on the license will be tabled until the next meeting, or until they hear again from Errington.

There will be a public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday on designating the following roads for ATV travel -- Poplar Hill, Thompson Hill, Leavitt Street, and Riverside, Dix and Holman avenues.

The Planning Board will begin an update on land use, license and permit fees. Selectman Reggie Arsenault said fees have remained the same since the early 1990s.