Sewer district garage ‘total loss’ following fire
During a Feb. 18 trustees meeting, Boothbay Harbor Sewer District Superintendent David Pratt deemed the facility's garage a “total loss” following the Feb. 10 fire. The damage extends to the tools, spare parts and other equipment housed in the maintenance building.
However, as previously reported in the Register, Pratt was able to remove the district’s $150,000 support truck before the fire spread to the first floor.
There is no official cause of the fire, pending investigation by the state Fire Marshal and Maine Municipal Association. The total cost of damages is also unknown.
The district is working on compiling an inventory of the garage for insurance purposes. The district will rent an on-site storage unit to house equipment until a new facility can be built.
In other business, trustees heard a presentation from Relationship Manager Team Leader Julie Shepard and Portfolio Manager Everett Coulter of Bangor Wealth Management (a subdivision of Bangor Savings Bank). This is the latest bank talk following the board’s decision to explore other places to house the district's investment portfolio.
The district has a “conservative” investment style (75% fixed income and 25% stocks) since BHSD is dealing with municipal funds. Discussions focused on diversifying investments while overall maintaining this conservative approach.