Residents on Upper Garland Road petitioned the town to make the change because of the high speeds used on the road, Town Manager Robert Simpson told the council late last week. The proposed speed limit change would extend from the intersection of Main Street Hill east to the Garland town line.

The council also voted recently to begin the procedure to condemn a building at 52 Spring St. A public hearing on the matter will be held at the April council meeting.

The building is reportedly owned by Veterans Affairs and is in deplorable condition, according to the town manager. Once it has been declared a dangerous building, the town can request the owner to remove it. First the town must advertise the proposed action for three consecutive weeks, hold the hearing and then act on the matter. Meanwhile, the council asked Bill Murphy, the code enforcement officer, to have the open doors and broken windows secured.

On another matter, Simpson reported that after more than two years of negotiations, the final draft of a proposed contract between the town and Council 93 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has been completed. He said he anticipated that the union would ratify the contract later this month and that a special meeting would be held soon afterward for the council's action.

Council member Judy Wilbur Craig reported that Dexter Reg. Development Corp. has been evaluating requests from small businesses looking to relocate to Dexter. There are no buildings that could house these new businesses so the members discussed the construction of a speculative building, she said.

"We've got to have something to offer," Craig said. The idea is expected to be discussed further in future months, she said.
"This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the Tuesday, February 22, 2005 edition of the Bangor Daily NEWS and is used here with permission."