CARRABASSETT VALLEY – The Carrabassett Valley select board meeting scheduled for Monday, December 18, had to be rescheduled due to the storms and flooding across the region. The board met on Wednesday, December 27, to address a slightly modified agenda.
Town Manager Dave Cota discussed his upcoming retirement with the board. Cota plans to retire at the end of June 2024. In email correspondence, Cota said, “I’ve been the manager here for going on 24 years and I’m in my 48th year of being a town manager in Maine! CV has only had three town managers since the creation of the Town in 1972 and I feel honored to have served here.”
The board will hire the firm of Eaton Peabody to assist them in their search for a new town manager, with an estimated cost of $8,500. Cota intends to help with a smooth transition between managers.
In other business, the board discussed a possible expansion of Nordic ski trails at the Outdoor Center. This would improve the existing 2.5 kilometer race loop and add an additional connected 2.5 kilometer race loop, which would allow the Outdoor Center to host larger Nordic ski events and more racing. The added race loop would utilize primarily existing trails. Both the new and existing loops would be widened to meet homologation standards. A rough estimate of costs for this entire project is $160,000 with hopeful grant funding of either 50% or 80%, and the remaining match to come from the Town’s Recreation Endowment Fund. This project could be part of a longer-term goal of having snowmaking capabilities at the Outdoor Center.
This proposal is also being discussed by Sugarloaf, and by the town’s Recreation Committee.
The J.V. Wing Snowmobile Club approached the board with a proposal to build a trailhead on the north end of the town, on land owned by the Sanitary District. Currently there is limited trail access in the Valley, and this would allow more access to trails and help with connecting to trails in Stratton and points north, along with connecting to the Bigelow Lodge. The club would also look at parking, with one lot for club members to use for the season and a second close by for the general public.
The club also requested the $22,000 allocated at the town meeting for the club, to use for trail work, repairs, and then towards the trailhead and parking. The board approved that payment.
