FRENCHVILLE, Maine — Before taking over as Frenchville town manager, Ryan Pelletier worked two decades in road construction, and he is hoping the contacts he made along the way will help ease the transition into his new job.
“After working in construction for 22 years, I was looking for a different career path,” Pelletier, 42, said from his office at the Frenchville Town Office on Friday. “I am ready for a more administrative path.”
The Madawaska native most recently was project manager for Soderberg Construction and said he has made many contacts within municipal and state agencies while working on road projects, which is going to come in handy because Pelletier said road work is going to be among his top priorities as town manager.
“We have a lot of road issues in Frenchville,” he said. “We have 28 miles of roads, and 20 miles of them are in depleted condition, in need of serious attention.”
Pelletier, who was sworn in as town manager March 16, said residents can expect to see preliminary work on roads, including ditching and culvert replacement, in the coming year with the major road rehabilitation taking place during the 2016-2017 construction season.
Frenchville and St. Agatha, the communities that make up SAD 33, recently have completed improvements to the communities’ shared municipal waste system as part of an ongoing waste management relationship between the two towns, Pelletier said.
The new town manager added he is also looking forward to working with local committees on reviving the town’s ball park and creating a second park aimed at celebrating the area’s French heritage.
Pelletier oversees a municipal budget of roughly $1.4 million with a current mill rate of 22.5.
“We look to be in good shape with our budget,” he said. “I do plan on aggressively looking for grants to help fund the upcoming road work.”
Moving from construction to running a town with a population of 1,100 has been a challenge, Pelletier said, but it’s one he welcomes.
“I’ve lived in Frenchville for 15 years, and this was the right career move for me,” he said. “I am enthusiastic about coming to work every day.”
