Castine selectmen advised to quicken infrastructure improvements
February 24, 2011
Castine selectmen David Unger and Gus Basile received advice on how to schedule and fund needed road and infrastructure improvements at a public hearing on Monday afternoon, February 7.
Two experienced former municipal officials, now part of the Eaton Peabody Consulting Group, suggested that “implementing the [2009 Master Plan for Long Term Infrastructure Improvements in Castine Village] in a more timely manner than a 20-year period would likely reduce the number of emergency repairs and higher cost associated with them.” Don Gerrish, a former Brunswick town manager, and Richard Metivier, a former finance director for the City of Lewiston, presented their seven-page written report, while explaining its contents and answering questions from the selectmen and the five citizens who attended.
The 2009 master plan, prepared by the engineering firm Olver Associates, detailed the needs of the four infrastructure components in the village: roadways, storm drains, sanitary sewers, and water distribution mains.
The work on these components was divided into phases, with work on Phase I now underway.
Funding for the water and sewer components would come from revenue bonds which would be paid back over time by the users of the systems in their utility bills.
The roadway and storm drain improvements would be funded by general fund revenue and municipal bonds as needed.
The consultants reviewed the series of future debt amortization schedules in their report showing how the debt service could be spaced out through the year 2032, with the costs remaining within limits the utility users and taxpayers could handle.
Gerrish emphasized that municipal officials had the flexibility to determine which projects would be done when, in order to minimize the disruption to a particular neighborhood. It was also noted that road improvements had a relatively short useful life and should be scheduled so that follow-up repairs would not all be needed at the same time.
It was also noted that water and sewer projects are likely to have a useful life of 60 years or more.
Courtesy of the Castine Patriot
by Jonathan Thomas
