by Mary Grow Vassalboro School Board members puzzled over lunch program finances at their June 18 meeting, after Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer recommended they reallocate $30,000 to start covering the program’s debt even though it doesn’t owe any money to anybody. Pfeiffer explained that the “debt,” about $130,000, is on the books because the program spends […]
by Mary Grow China selectmen made several decisions at their June 24 meeting, the last in the current fiscal year, but postponed action on the two longest-discussed questions, whether to buy an excavator and whether to eliminate Saturday town office hours. At their June 10 meeting, Board members re-reviewed bids for equipment for summer road […]
by Mary Grow Vassalboro Planning Board members quickly and unanimously approved both shoreland zoning applications on their June 6 agenda. Mary Rider has approval to rearrange and enlarge the deck on her family camp on Tilton Lane, on the east shore of Webber Pond. Builder Ray Breton, representing the applicant, said the planned increase in […]
by Mary Grow Vassalboro selectmen had only one formal public hearing on their June 13 agenda, but two issues drew extensive comment from residents in the audience. The hearing was on disbursement of Tax Increment Finance (TIF) funds, specifically a $120,000 request from the Vassalboro Sanitary District (VSD) to help with continued work on its […]
by Mary Grow China Planning Board members expected to discuss a proposed new medical marijuana business at their June 11 meeting. But applicant Clifford Glinko was absent, so there was no discussion. Instead, Board members scheduled a July 9 public hearing on Glinko’s application to open a medical marijuana facility with a storefront at 360 […]
by Mary Grow CHINA China voters rejected both spending requests on their June 11 local ballot. They re-approved the school budget initially approved at the April 6 town business meeting and voted to continue the school budget validation referendum for another three years. Town Clerk Rebecca Hapgood reported the results, as follows: The request to […]
by Mary Grow Guided by veteran moderator Richard Thompson, 81 registered voters, according to Town Clerk Cathy Coyne, took less than two hours to approve the first 63 articles of their June 3 and June 11 town meeting warrant as presented. The meeting is now in recess until 8 a.m. Tuesday, June 11, when polls […]
by Mary Grow Taxes were the last, but not the least, item discussed at the June 10 China selectmen’s meeting. The bottom line: tax bills sent out late this summer will show increases in valuation and an increase in the rate, neither dramatically large. Tax Assessor William Van Tuinen is still working on local values […]
by Mary Grow China selectmen spent most of their May 28 meeting reviewing bids for outdoor summer work, with mixed results. Their decisions annoyed a resident with a personal interest in the matter. The bid requests were in three categories, each subdivided: materials, equipment to be rented (with an operator) and mowing. Two contractors bid […]
by Mary Grow At their May 21 meeting, Vassalboro School Board members reluctantly voted to raise the bill for a full-price school lunch from $2.75 this year to $2.85 for the 2019-2020 school year. A food service memo requested the increase, explaining that it is required by the federal government, whose officials found almost a […]