Fryeburg Selectmen Notes: River user fees considered [03/15/2008]

By Virginia Manley

Selectmen will be deciding on some ordinances for the Saco River for this summer and the summer of 2009. The state of Maine has no money to help the town for enforcement and patrols. Selectman David Knapp stated that selectmen will look into imposing a fee for using the river, and posting a parking permit at the river. Those without permits would be fined. This would not affect local residents, who would have free access as long as they provide a resident sticker.Selectmen will also develop a constable program appointing people approved by the selectmen and the police chief to maintain town regulations along the river and hand out violations. The constable can only uphold the ordinance but has no authority for making arrests. The town of Fryeburg is still looking into a safety building for the police station. The Maine Tool Building on Route 113, owned by Wendell Webb, is one possibility. Police chief Wayne Brooking stated that there is enough space there to support the needs of a police station, such as office space and storage. Brooking will also take a look at a building on Route 302 that is owned by Wayne Harriman. Selectmen recently met with department heads to discuss budget guidelines. They would like the budget reduced by 10 percent and are requesting that the police department eliminate a full-time position and in the library eliminate a part-time position. The police department is now keeping all the cruisers at the police station. If an officer is on call, he has to take his personal vehicle to the station. This is in an effort to save on fuel. Fryeburg Police Department officers are also getting a 1.3 percent increase in pay but will not be getting merit raises. Starting in 2009 the uniforms and footwear for the police officers will be paid by the officers, who will not be reimbursed. The state report came in for the transfer station. The recycling numbers are up. The figures were 104 tons of newspaper, 29 tons of mixed paper, 114 tons of tin cans and 14 tons of mixed plastic. If Fryeburg went to mandatory recycling, the revenues would go up. Selectmen are looking into mandatory recycling. They are also looking into single stream recycling, which could save on expenses at the transfer station.