GORHAM – Reorganizing following last week’s election, the Gorham Town Council Tuesday elected Brenda Caldwell as chairwoman and Philip Gagnon as its vice chairman.

Caldwell, a former longtime town clerk, now handles the gavel after moving up from vice chairwoman.

Town Clerk Connie Loughran administered the oath of office to newly elected councilors Michael Phinney and Suzanne Phillips.

“We’re going to have a great year with the new council,” outgoing council Chairman Matthew Robinson said.

In business this week, the Town Council sent four more requests for contract zones in South Gorham to the Planning Board for a review and a recommendation. Those seeking contract zones this week were Donna Burke, 66 County Road; Kurt Albert, 103 and 109 County Road; James Bruni, County Road; and Chandler and Christine Bearce, 18 County Road.

Last month, the town approved a contract zone to allow a business park requested by developer Hans Hansen at the intersection of South Street (Route 114) and County Road (Route 22). Then, the panel sent five similar requests to the Planning Board.

The Ordinance Committee is weighing whether the town should re-zone South Gorham.

“This is where the next logical growth area is in the town of Gorham,” Robinson said.

In other action, the council approved spending $60,738 to upgrade the town’s radio communications system. The action was the result of a federally mandated conversion from broad- to narrow-band radio communication.

The council also authorized $3,672 to repair the red sandstone founders’ monument at the corner of School and Church streets. The monument is inscribed with the history of the town.

But the council did not decide on a future site for it. The council feared the monument, more than two centuries old, is endangered at its present site near the street corner.

Caldwell said it had recently been chipped by vandals. The monument will now be removed and sent to a Lewiston shop for cleaning and repair of cracks.

“This project is near and dear to my heart,” Caldwell said.

“Its location isn’t hospitable to preservation,” Gagnon said.

Town Councilor John Pressey suggested the monument when it’s returned to the town, could be located indoors.

Gorham Town Clerk Connie Loughran, left, administers the oath of office to Suzanne Phillips and Michael Phinney, town councilors elected by voters last week. (Staff photo by Robert Lowell)