Better security at town garage

OTISFIELD — The security system at the municipal garage may be upgraded in response to a break-in at the building on November 19.

The Otisfield Board of Selectmen discussed boosting security at the new building during its meeting November 21.

Construction of the garage, approved by voters at town meeting last July, is about 90 percent complete, selectmen said. It is located on Station Road.

According to Selectman Rick Micklon, early in the morning on November 19, a male broke into the town garage through a window and removed approximately $500 worth of copper piping.

Micklon said the current security camera has been aligned to get a better side-view of the garage. "It just catches the left-hand side of the bathroom window, the office window and overhead door," Micklon explained.

An additional security system may also be needed, selectmen said.

"I am gung-ho for a real loud audible sound," said Chairman Hal Ferguson.

"Typically, that will scare somebody away, but if it doesn't, somebody else may hear it," he pointed out.

Selectmen also discussed installing security cameras inside of the garage. Right now, said Selectman Lenny Adler, all of the cameras are on the exterior of the building.

"I think we should have a camera or two inside and something that will turn the lights on," proposed Adler. "A camera is no good if it's dark," he said.

He thought the combination of the lights coming on, the cameras and a siren ought to scare a perpetrator away.

Ferguson estimated a security system would cost no more than $5,000.

"The video cameras aren't all that expensive," said Micklon. "It's more of the networking of everything ... and ongoing monitoring and all that," he said.

"When I went over there Sunday [November 18] night and look at all those lights [on the garage], I thought, 'nobody will try to get in here with how well lit this is,'" said Adler.

"Three hours later, there they [thieves] were." 

In other news, the board:

• Accepted a $5,500 bid from Flanders Electric of Norway for a 20kW Generac standby generator to be used at the town garage, including a cold weather kit for $270 and annual maintenance for $200. 

• Accepted a bid of $11,362.80 for labor from Shaun Le and materials from Record Lumber for an asphalt roof at the fire station on Spurrs Corner, and a $6,707.89 bid for labor from Spencer Woodworth and Son and materials from Record Lumber for a metal roof at the fire station on Gore Road.