Spring cleanup in Mexico starts Monday

MEXICO -- Town Manager John Madigan announced that the annual spring cleanup will begin here on Monday.

He told selectmen on April 26 that residents need to have their items at curbside in time before public works will come around to pickup on a street just one time.

Madigan said the pickup only required a week and a half last year. Residents can also transports items for cleanup for free to the transfer station for a total of three weeks.

Rules and the cleanup schedule are post in the town office.

In other business, a special public informational session was tentatively set for May 24 to provide residents with a chance to discuss the soon-to-be installed so-called Smart Meters.

Central Maine Power Co. plans to begin installing the new meters that measure electricity usage at Mexico homes within the next few weeks.

Several on the board said because the matter has been controversial, they want residents to learn all that they can.

The special session will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the town hall. Following that meeting, the board will then hold a 6 p.m. public hearing on the proposed 2011-12 municipal budget of $2.8 million, which is about 9 percent higher than the current year's figure. Residents will vote on the budget at referendum on June 14.

The board's regular meeting will then get underway at 6:30 p.m.

Selectman approved a toll road fundraiser for Boy Scout Troop 580 from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, May 22, near Big Daddy's on Main Street. The money raised will be used to send Scouts to camp from July 17-22. The camp costs $290 per scout.