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GREENVILLE - Municipal officials are looking at shifting the responsibility of snowmobile trail grooming and the maintenance of town-owned grooming equipment to the local snowmobile club. Selectmen are expected to decide the future of the trail grooming program at their Oct. 12 meeting. Over the years, the town has been responsible for grooming about 70 miles of the Interconnecting Trail System from Greenville to neighboring communities and has provided the maintenance for three town-owned grooming machines. But last season, the trails were not adequately maintained because of mechanical breakdowns. The fact that the equipment was not properly maintained caused selectmen to discuss terminating the program and the volunteer trail grooming program coordinator to resign. "We failed to provide good trails throughout the season," Greenville Town Manager John Simko told selectmen on Wednesday. He recommended that the board enter an agreement with the Moosehead Riders Snowmobile Club to operate the town's program, among several options. The club, which is receptive to the move, already grooms several loop trails in the region. Royce Howes, club trail master, told selectmen and the approximately 30 people who attended the meeting that the club has the assets and manpower to take on the additional work. "We believe you have to have consistency in trail grooming," he said, adding that the club could provide that consistency. He suggested the development of a steering committee of town officials and club members to bridge any communication gap. Howes also expressed concern about the condition of two of the town's grooming machines. "We're dealing with equipment that's worn out," he said. He suggested that one of the machines could be cannibalized to make the other operable. Simko said that throughout the course of the program, the town has not appropriated any money from property taxes; rather, it has used state grant funds, snowmobile excise tax funds, and donations. There are sufficient funds in the account to make the necessary repairs, he noted. Simko said the town should use the equipment it has this season and then entertain a capital improvement program next year. "I think we've got to find a way to prove ourselves this winter," he said. Dave Vaughn, the former volunteer trail grooming program coordinator, faulted town officials for being "wishy washy" on their support for the program. "The selectmen have never endorsed the program the way I think they should," he said. "Without strong support from the town, you're not going to get that support from the businesses." Howes said that for the program to be a success, it would need business support. If the club took over the duties, it would maintain the equipment and conduct the trail grooming. The town would be the fiscal agent of the program, would retain ownership of the equipment and would submit the grants. "Should we not act quickly and decisively to put this program on a path to success soon, the entire town will suffer ... every business will suffer," resident Craig Watt said Wednesday. "We can't drag our feet on this." |