WILTON – The Wilton Selectboard unanimously voted to enter into a mutual aid agreement with the Farmington Public Works Department at Tuesday night’s meeting.
The focus of the agreement is for the towns to share manpower in case of an emergency whether it be extreme weather or COVID-19 related. It is a five year agreement.
The Board unanimously approved the Mt. Blue TV annual budget.
The studio, which is located on the campus of University of Maine at Farmington, opened back up to the public in September. JP Fortier, Executive Director of MBTV, told the board of planned upcoming programs.
“We have a program we might be starting up at the Farmington Diner which is an oral histories project interviewing people around Franklin county kind of centered around stories around the diner,” said Fortier. “We’re thinking of calling that Coffee Connections. We’re also starting to produce the Simple Gourmet again with Stan Wheeler, which is a cooking show.”
According to Fortier the station hasn’t made any significant budget changes.
“Our budget is basically the same, all the staffing is the same,” Fortier said.
The board considered two proposals for the Wilson Lake retaining wall project. It will rework the waterfront parking and walkway on Lake Rd. in Wilton.
The first plan would have a walkway coming down Lake Rd. from the bridge that connects to the boat launch. It would extend down to the lakeside parking and pass in front of where cars would park in a newly paved lot.
Town Manager Rhonda Irish described the first plan.
“Putting in a lakeside approved paved parking lot instead of the lot we have now, but with diagonal parking for approximately 17 spaces,” Irish said. “However a railing would have to be erected there along the walkway.”
Everything is essentially the same on the second proposal except for the parking, Irish said.
“The difference in this plan is that the walkway would be moved out and there would be parallel parking instead of the vertical parking. With the parking being moved out they do not believe they would need a handrail,” she said.
Selectboard member Tom Saviello was in favor of the first plan proposal.
“I’m personally in favor of the diagonal parking, even though we have to have a rail,” Saviello said.
Board member Tiffany Maiuri expressed skepticism regarding the potential fence and the view. Maiuri said that she would be in favor of plan A if it didn’t require a fence that would obstruct the view.
The board doesn’t have the exact details regarding whether or not it has to be a fence or a small railing separating the walkway from the water. Irish is going to bring the board’s concerns back to the engineers to be addressed.
The board also discussed the Kineowatha Park Long Term Care Plan. Frank Donald, the Parks and Recreation Director and Ken Sawyer of the conservation commission presented a summary of the plan to the board.
The plan focused mainly on preserving lakeside trails, minimizing erosion and phosphorus runoff, to document and control invasive species, and address climate change concerns.
“Many of these items are already being addressed,” Donald said.
The board voted unanimously to approve the plan.
The board also voted unanimously to approve the renewal of medical majiruana retail permits for Power Plant, Cannatopia and Rocky Hill.
Calzolaio Pasta Company also had their on-premises liquor license renewal unanimously approved.
