MADAWASKA, Maine — Madawaska officials on July 31 appointed a second Select Board member to an interview committee for a new economic and community development director position.
The board voted to appoint Manon Bilodeau-Raymond to be on the committee. She will be joining Town Manager David Daigle, Select Board Chair Jason Boucher and other officials in interviewing candidates for the new position.
According to the job posting on the town website, the director position involves applying for state and federal grants, public relations and marketing, promoting tourism and cultural initiatives, tracking economic trends, analyzing data and preparing regular progress reports.
The town appointed an additional committee member to ensure there is a good focus group during the interview process, as it has been several years since Madawaska has had a community development director.
Daigle said the town currently has three applicants for the position and that he hopes to begin interviews in early August.
Board members also approved work for the Birch Point tennis and pickleball courts as well as work for two culvert replacements.
The town initially received a quote of $37,000 to shim and resurface the courts, but upon further inspection of the court, they found that it was generally in good shape with the exception of a stress crack. Town Manager David Daigle said the pickleball players also felt it was in fairly good shape.
Instead of resurfacing the court, the town opted to enlist the help of the Long Lake Association to use liquid filler for the stress crack for less than half of the original price.
“We feel like if we pay close attention to how we apply it, this can last farther into five or seven years at least,” Daigle said.
Volunteers with the association have offered to donate their time and labor towards the project. The entire cost includes the sealer, priming and two coats of official pickleball and tennis court paint.
The board first accepted a motion to accept $15,800 for the project, and to accept the donations from the lake association. A member of the association at the meeting said they would likely order materials by the end of August, and asked if they would need to come back to ask the board for additional money if the cost increased by that point.
The board then modified the motion to spend up to $18,000 for the project in case of any increases.
Officials also voted in favor of approving two quotes from Ed Pelletier & Sons to replace two culverts in town. The first was a $62,205 lump sum bid to replace a culvert on Gerard Street and the second was a $73,405 lump sum bid to replace a culvert on the Golf Course Road.
