|
|
| Somerset Co. Purchases 34 Acres for Jail |
| By The Bangor Daily News |
| Published: 01/23/2006 |
|
Commissioners in Somerset County, Maine voted last week to purchase 34 acres to construct a new county jail on Route 201 in Madison, 900 feet over the Skowhegan town line. With $5,000 already paid as an option, the panel will be taking $205,000 from a special jail account when the sale is completed, likely in two weeks. Voters approved the jail project and its location outside of the county seat in last November's referendum. The county had attempted to pass a bill in 2005 that would have allowed the jail to be built outside of Skowhegan, but the bill died when the Legislature adjourned the session without voting. "We hedged our bets," Commission Chairman Paul Hatch said Wednesday, by putting the out-of-town issue on the November ballot just in case it was not passed by the Legislature. Hatch said he was pleased to finally be moving forward on the jail. "We didn't have to borrow a dime," he said. Hatch admitted that it was a great relief to have the sale completed, but said that issues with the jail's water and sewer service are not going smoothly. The county is seeking a hookup with the town of Skowhegan's utilities, but negotiations "are getting totally out of hand," Hatch said. Not only are initial estimates of the one-time hookup fee estimated to be nearly a half million dollars, the town also has included a policy in their agreement that would require the county to provide financial assistance to any other commercial developer in the area. "It is just too open-ended," Hatch said. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think