FARMINGDALE — Representatives of 15 engineering firms showed up Wednesday for a pre-bid meeting to design the reconstruction of the lower end of Northern Avenue.

Board of Selectmen Chairman David Sirois told the board he didn’t expect so many firms to be present, and will have to make additional copies of maps and paperwork to send to some of the firms.

The town wants to grind up the pavement on the lower end of Northern Avenue, replace all 15 catch basins from Maine Avenue to Sheldon Street, replace all the culverts on that portion of the street and replace the sidewalks with new curbing.

Selectmen said they are trying to be proactive because the road is in bad shape and they want to fix it as soon as the town comes up with the money.

Deadline for bids is 5 p.m. Nov. 9.

In other business:

* Selectman Doug Ebert said he stopped by the vacant house on Maine Avenue, slated to be torn down by the town, and boarded it up. Selectmen said people have stolen metal from the property and have been hanging out in the former Harrison house. The town is paying Sargent Corp. to tear it down. Voters at Town Meeting approved up to $10,000 for the work.

* Selectmen signed on to the Kennebec County Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation plan, which is required for national flood insurance as well as future project funding.

* Selectmen voted to approve the Maine Municipal Association’s amendments to its general assistance ordinance. It is a slight change in the amount of income that households can earn. The town is reimbursed 50 percent of money spent to help residents by the state.

Joyce Grondin is a Kennebec Journal correspondent who lives in Augusta.

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