Selectmen: 240th celebration committee can stand on own
By Karen Mann

Resident Lillian Whitney is seeking to have her grassroots 240th Celebration Committee appointed as an official town committee.

Although selectmen did not appoint the committee at their July 26 meeting, Whitney later said she would continue to push for this.

Whitney's main concern about not being an official committee is that the group won't have liability insurance, which she said is important to have for the different activities they are planning. Whitney also believes because it is a town event, it should have an official committee.

Selectman Geoff Woollacott said they would unofficially support the group and offered them any needed insurance as the situation arose.

There wasn't a need to have a townappointed committee, Wollacott said after the meeting.

"It's a community function," he said. "Things like that happen regularly and don't have a town-appointed committee."

The group doesn't need the town's backing to be successful, he said.

Whitney also made a call for residents to join the committee and get involved in planning events. Whitney said she is confident about the anniversary celebration, regardless of what happens with the status of the committee.

In other business:  Selectmen decided to auction off a 5.6-acre lot on West State Road. Town officials foreclosed on the land a year ago, which means the town can now put it up for auction. According to selectmen, $1,400 in taxes was owed on the property that is valued at $69,800.

As part of the auction process the selectmen are allowed to set a minimum bid. Woollacott said $1,400 was too low, but it should not be as high as $70,000 either. He thought that $35,000 would probably be a good starting price.

No official decision was made though, and selectmen said they would seek the advice of the town treasurer. The property will go to auction once a minimum bid is established.

 Selectmen signed a letter supporting the American Dream Down Payment Initiative Program. The program assists low and moderate income people in obtaining their first home. The Montachusett Regional Planning Committee will use more of its Department of Housing and Community Development money for the program.

 Selectmen delayed awarding highway material bids because they did not receive many bids. They passed a motion to take the issue under supervision, and review what they had so far. They plan to revisit the issue in two weeks.

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Karen Mann is a 2006 graduate of Emerson College, in Boston, where she studied journalism. She resides in Townsend with her parents.