VASSALBORO SANITARY DISTRICT: Lack of quorum adjourns meeting; some questions still answered

/0 Comments/in , /by

photo: vsdistrict.com

by Mary Grow

More than a dozen people came to the Nov. 17 meeting of the Vassalboro Sanitary District (VSD) board of trustees.

Board chair Lauchlin Titus called the meeting to order and announced that at 6:17 that morning, he had received Jenna Davies’ resignation from the board. Therefore, the theoretically five-member board is down to two members, Titus and Raymond Breton.

Two members is not a quorum, and the meeting could not be held. Titus adjourned it.

Audience members asked questions anyway, focused on VSD finances, and Titus allowed a half-hour unofficial discussion before he indicated it was time to leave. Because the audience included Brandy King from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Kirsten Hebert, executive director of Maine Rural Water Association, some of the questions got answered.

Titus said if additional questions were sent to him, he would try to get answers posted on the VSD website.

King’s main message was that DEP has done all it can to help relieve the about $3 million in debt the VSD incurred from the $8 million connection to the Waterville disposal facility, via Winslow. She explained some of the financing process.

Hebert’s organization is likely to play a role if Vassalboro’s and other towns’ legislators try to get debt relief through the state legislature. She said she can also offer help with local VSD administration.

Titus said any new volunteers to serve on the district’s board would need to be appointed by the select board, which next meets Thursday evening, Dec. 11. The member or members would then need to be sworn in by the town clerk, who would not be in the office until Monday, Dec. 15.

Before the quorum was lost, the next VSD board meeting was planned for the afternoon of Dec. 15.

Vassalboro school board to explore policy on students’ cell phones

/0 Comments/in , /by
Vassalboro Community School

Vassalboro Community School (contributed photo)

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro school board members’ discussion was mostly routine at the Nov. 12 meeting, with a couple important topics to be explored in more depth at future meetings.

One is the school’s policy on students’ cellphones and other personal electronic devices. Another is updating the strategic plan.

The Maine School Management Association has shared a recommended policy on cell phones and other electronic devices. Board members plan to align it with the current policy at a future meeting.

The current VCS policy is on page 20 in the student handbook (found on line at vcsvikings.org, under the heading For Students). Assistant Principal Tabitha Brewer said only a couple warnings for violations have been issued so far this year.

The strategic plan is currently an 11-page document setting out four broad goals and summarizing actions taken to achieve them, with a list of potential additional goals at the end. For each goal and subgoal, there are lists of what should be done, by whom and when, and what has been done in the preceding three academic years.

Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer asked whether AI (artificial intelligence) should be added to policies or the plan or both. Technology Systems Administrator David Trask said he has been including responsible use of AI in his courses this fall.

After the meeting, Pfeiffer said he will have the strategic plan added to the VCS website, with the understanding it is to be updated.

Board members approved revisions to half a dozen other of their more than 200 policies (found on line under School Board, Policies and Procedures). They have more to update at future meetings.

Among reports submitted to board members, one from Principal Ira Michaud said student enrollment remains at 420, and listed upcoming events. The winter concert for the community is scheduled for 6 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 18, with a snow date Monday, Dec. 22.

Pfeiffer reported the roadside solar warning signs are operating; plans for an expanded parking lot are “inching forward”; and installation of LED (light-emitting diode) lights, part of planned building updates, might happen in December. After the Oct. 28 community meeting, discussion continues of safety measures, like installing metal detectors at entrances and hiring a school resource officer (see the Nov. 6 issue of The Town Line, p. 2).

The superintendent said when road conditions cause a no-school day or a delayed opening, notices will go out by robocall and will be posted on the website and sent to local radio and television stations.

Jennifer Lizotte, director of the child care center at VCS, reported 41 students enrolled. For the Thanksgiving holiday, she wrote, the center will be open all day Wednesday, Nov. 26, and closed Thursday and Friday. The school calendar says there will be no school Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.

The next regular Vassalboro School Board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9. It will be preceded by a curriculum committee meeting at 5 p.m.

China select board gives preview of December meetings

/0 Comments/in , /by
China Town Officeby Mary Grow

China select board members offered the unusually large audience at their Nov. 17 meeting a preview of their Dec. 1 agenda.

On Dec. 1, they intend to discuss with members of the town’s three volunteer fire departments and China Rescue Unit when and how to begin consideration of creating a municipal emergency services department.

Several board members are concerned that the present system of private organizations is not sustainable much longer. For one thing, people said, municipal departments are eligible for federal grants that private ones cannot apply for.

Department representatives at the Nov. 17 meeting included South China Fire Chief Richard Morse, who urged board members to be aware that the rescue unit and the fire departments have different problems needing different approaches.

The bulk of the Nov. 17 audience were town employees, come to hear select board members talk about their health insurance.

China currently uses a Maine Municipal Association (MMA) insurance plan named Katahdin. Two lower benefit plans are named Moosehead and Pemaquid.

After MMA proposed a nine percent rate increase for Katahdin next year, Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood and Brent Chesley, former and newly re-elected select board member, looked into alternatives, including private companies, and adjustments.

Board members spent an hour and a half discussing options. Several employees, and at least one resident who is not an employee, suggested they were risking losing “the people who keep this town running” to save a trifling sum; they should instead start speaking up when the Regional School Unit #18 board discusses the annual school budget, which for China is almost $6 million.

The discussion ended with a vote to keep the present plan, increase and all. Board members Blane Casey, Natasha Littlefield and Thomas Rumpf voted in favor; Chesley was opposed; and Edwin Bailey abstained, because his wife is a town employee.

The nine percent increase amounts to a little over $31,000. After the meeting, Hapgood said China sends out about 3,500 tax bills, meaning the average cost of the increase per bill would be $8.88 (varying with the amount of the bill).

Chesley and other board members said they intended no disrespect to town employees. Chesley explained he was trying to balance employees’ welfare with taxpayers’ welfare, and Bailey thanked those present for their work.

Chesley and other board members said they intended no disrespect to town employees. Chesley explained he was trying to balance employees’ welfare with taxpayers’ welfare, and Bailey thanked those present for their work.

The meeting, the first since the Nov. 4 election, opened with election of board officers. Chesley was elected chairman and Rumpf secretary.

Chesley then opened a public hearing on Littlefield’s application for a liquor license for Nash’s Café, her new restaurant in South China. There was no public comment. Later in the meeting, the license was approved without discussion, with Littlefield abstaining on the otherwise-unanimous vote.

Hapgood listed the town committees on which there are vacancies: the planning board (three; Natale Tripodi and Elaine Mather have declined reappointment, and there was one vacant position); the budget committee (two vacancies, one caused by Chesley’s election to the select board); the appeals board (two vacancies, one Chesley’s former seat); the board of assessment review (one); the tax increment financing committee (three); and the comprehensive plan implementation committee (four).

The planning board is the only one of the six that meets regularly. Hapgood said the main requirements for a planning board member are “an open mind and logical thinking.” Audience members chuckled.

Select board members unanimously appointed Kevin Maroon to the budget committee.

Residents are invited to apply for any committee position. Information is available at the town office, applications there and on the website, chinamaine.org.

China municipal departments will be closed for Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday, Nov. 27 and 28; the town office will be open Saturday morning, Nov. 29. The next select board meeting is scheduled for Monday evening, Dec. 1.

Vassalboro conservation commission discusses two parks

/0 Comments/in , /by
Vassalboro Town Officeby Mary Grow

At their Nov. 12 meeting, Vassalboro Conservation Commission members again discussed the two parks for which they are responsible, Monument Park, in East Vassalboro, and Eagle Park, a short distance north on Main Street and Outlet Stream.

For Monument Park, commission chairman Holly Weidner and member Steve Jones plan to ask the Vassalboro select board to approve a grant application for buffer plantings to help protect China Lake. The application is to include requests for money for signage and for the first two years’ maintenance.

For future years, Weidner proposed including maintenance money in the commission’s annual budget. She and Jones plan to have the buffer area marked off, probably with a row of rocks, so the public works employees who mow the park won’t accidentally mow it.

In Eagle Park, Jones has been working with town trails committee chairman John Melrose to put identifying labels on the different kinds of trees. Jones said Melrose has labeled many; he is lacking a few labels, and three additional trees need to be planted next spring to go with labels Melrose has.

In other business, Weidner summarized information from the recently-released Webber Pond watershed survey report. Property-owners whose property has non-point pollution sources (like run-off from driveways and other impervious surfaces) have been notified.

(The Town of Vassalboro is on the list of property-owners; see the Nov. 6 issue of The Town Line, p. 3.)

The report said that Webber Pond’s annual fall draw-down, aimed at flushing out algae, is finished. The dam boards have been replaced to allow the lake to return to its normal winter level.

The conservation commission is short two members. Anyone interested in becoming a member is invited to contact the town office.

Weidner recommends people curious about responsibilities attend commission meetings or watch the recordings on the town website, Vassalboro.net. To see the most recent meeting, go to the agenda (agendas are below the calendar on the main page) and click on the invitation to watch the meeting via YouTube.

The next Vassalboro Conservation Commission meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, in the town office meeting room.

VASSALBORO: Cannabis license denied for Sherwood Lane facility

/0 Comments/in , /by
Vassalboro Town Officeby Mary Grow

Vassalboro select board members began their Nov. 13 meeting with an executive session discussion with town attorney Patrick Lyons, of Veridian Law, in Bangor. They, Lyons and attorney Seth Russell, from Zerillo Law Firm, in Portland, then renewed the Oct. 16 public hearing on Leo Barnett’s appeal from a decision by Codes Officer Eric Currie (see the Oct. 23 issue of The Town Line, p. 3).

In October, board members allowed Barnett to apply for a license renewal for his cannabis-growing facility on Old Meadows Road. Currie had denied the renewal on the ground that the application was past the deadline.

Board members postponed deciding on an application for Barnett’s other facility on Sherwood Lane, which has not previously been used.

On Nov. 13, the two lawyers debated what different sections of Vassalboro’s Cannabis Business Ordinance mean in terms of license duration and license renewals.

After an hour-long discussion, select board chairman Frederick “Rick” Denico, Jr., and member Chris French voted that neither Barnett nor his son, Andrew Barnett, can apply for a cannabis license for the unused Sherwood Lane facility. Board member Michael Poulin abstained.

Lyons will draft a formal decision for Denico to sign on behalf of the board majority. Lyons advised Russell and Barnett of their right to appeal to Superior Court.

Town Manager Aaron Miller reminded board members that after the Oct. 16 decision, they had not decided on the amount of the late fee Barnett owed for not re-applying for Old Meadows Road on time. The ordinance says selectmen determine the amount, Lyons said.

Board members agreed to charge a $1 late fee.

Later in the meeting, Miller said Currie has received a few applications for 2026 cannabis licenses, including one from Barnett for the Old Meadows Road property.

In other business, Miller gave board and audience members a summary of Nov. 4 election results. The revised TIF (Tax Increment Financing) document, approved by a very narrow margin, is now being reviewed by staff at the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, he said. The expansion of the select board from three to five members, approved by a wide margin, will be effective at the June 2026 local elections.

Board member French volunteered to draft a policy for a five-member board. Miller said French should be able to find samples from other Maine towns to adapt.

Voting Nov. 4 was held at Vassalboro Community School; a steady trickle of voters showed up at the town office, unaware of the change of location. Denico led a discussion of ways to better publicize the polling place next time.

Miller and board members discussed Vassalboro’s financial situation as of the audit for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2024, and found it satisfactory.

Resident Frank Richards, who has been helping with financial policies, asked when the audit for the immediately previous fiscal year (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025) will be available. Miller said he hopes by the end of January 2026, before 2026-27 budget discussions start.

Board members accepted the manager’s plan to issue an RFP (request for proposals) for a financial professional to evaluate Vassalboro’s “financial management and accounting procedures.” Approval of the wording is scheduled for the board’s Dec. 11 meeting. Miller thinks the assessment could lead to a recommendation for a new town employee doing financial management.

On another money issue, board members agreed on asking prices for foreclosed properties they will offer for sale. On French’s recommendation, they postponed action on two pieces of land, totaling 20 acres, that French thinks they should consider keeping for town use.

Board members previously agreed to keep a little less than five acres adjoining the transfer station for future expansion of the facility. Under the recent state law, keeping land means buying it; they have assessed the piece at $10,000, which Miller said about equals the amount of taxes due.

When tax-acquired property is sold, state law now says municipal officials deduct taxes due and other expenses and send the rest of the purchase price to the former owner or heirs.

Miller and French raised two technology-related issues.

French praised the Town of Ashland’s website, which he said is created and maintained by an Aroostook County firm. Miller will look into it.

Miller had learned of ZenCity, a company that helps gather community sentiment, by collecting information on social media sites and using AI (artificial intelligence) to aggregate it – “sort of a virtual town meeting, or digital town hall,” Miller summarized. Denico asked whether its results are public records, and whether it is subject to abuse.

The next regular Vassalboro select board meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening, Dec. 11. The usual second monthly meeting for November would have fallen on Thanksgiving and has been canceled.

Work under way at South China boat ramp

/0 Comments/in , /by

South China boat launch. (photo by Roland D. Hallee)

by Mary Grow

The good news from the Nov. 3 China select board meeting is that the planks needed to extend the South China boat ramp arrived, and the job of installing them is under way.

Town officials have been trying to improve the launch area and the road leading to it for many months. Their goals are to make the site more usable for small watercraft and to control erosion, while leaving the landing secluded to protect water quality and the neighborhood.

Work on the Town Landing Road, which leads from South China’s Village Street to the landing, is “coming along nicely,” Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood said, thanks to the public works crew and resident Brent Chesley.

Turning to another project, select board members awarded a contract to add insulation, with a fire-resistant coating, in the community forest building behind China Primary School. They chose the lowest of three bidders, Builders Installed Products of Maine, LLC, of Hermon.

Board members appointed Benjamin Loubier the new chief of China Rescue, ratifying the unit’s members’ decision. Loubier succeeds Danny McKinnis, who resigned.

After a second public hearing on amendments to the town’s general assistance ordinance and appendices, which brought no public comments, board members approved the new version. Hapgood explained that after they acted at their Sept. 22 meeting, the Maine Municipal Association and state officials made changes, requiring another vote.

In other business, resident Edward Brownell reported on work he had done at the town ballfields, and received the board’s thanks.

Hapgood announced that 2026 dog licenses are now available. Licenses must be renewed by Dec. 31 each year.

The manager said all town departments will be closed Nov. 11 for Veterans Day and Nov. 27 and 28 for Thanksgiving. Town officials intend to collect food donations before Thanksgiving; they are working on logistics.

The next select board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 17.

The Nov. 3 meeting was the last – at least for now – for retiring board members Wayne Chadwick and Jeanne Marquis. Hapgood presented each with a letter of appreciation, and their colleagues thanked them for their service.

Vassalboro planners approve only application on agenda

/0 Comments/in , /by
Vassalboro Town Officeby Mary Grow

Vassalboro Planning Board members approved the only application on their Nov. 4 agenda, with conditions; and they again discussed the unpermitted Rage Room Monica Stanton is running in North Vassalboro.

The application was from David Drasba, on Threemile Pond, to add living space – he called it an in-law suite – for himself and his wife to the house now occupied by his son-in-law and family.

Because the house is only about 30 feet from the water, changes are subject to shoreland zoning regulations. Issues board members considered included lot size; amount of the lot covered and to be covered by impervious surfaces; location and potential expansion of the existing septic system; and erosion controls.

They concluded the lot is large enough for one dwelling unit, but not for two. Board Chairman Virginia Brackett helped Drasba adjust some of his measurements to determine the maximum allowable size of the addition’s footprint on the ground.

Looking at definitions in town ordinances, board members ruled that the original house and the new suite must remain in the same family. Two separate families would be defined as living in two dwellings, and the lot is too small to accommodate more than one.

After discussion of various ways to expand the septic system, board member and former codes officer Paul Mitnik concluded the prohibition on increasing non-conformity with regulations, in this case by making part of the system closer to the water, applied only to structures. The discussion was therefore unnecessary.

Drasba and his son-in-law, Brian Hanson, said the house sits on top of a high riprapped bank that slopes steeply to the pond. At board member Douglas Phillips’ suggestion, board members added a requirement that a buffer be planted along the top of the bank, to protect water quality.

With the two conditions (single-family and buffer plantings), a permit for an addition with a footprint no larger than 499 square feet was unanimously approved. Codes Officer Eric Currie will help work out details of the building plan and the plantings.

Not on the Nov. 4 agenda was Monica Stanton’s application for a permit for the Rage Room she has been running in North Vassalboro since last summer. At their Oct. 7 meeting, board members explained to Stanton procedures for applying for a permit, expecting to review it Nov. 4 (see the Oct. 16 issue of The Town Line, p. 2).

Last summer, Currie issued Stanton a cease and desist order until a permit was approved. Stanton has ignored it, he said.

Board members agreed to refer the issue to the town’s attorney. They discussed what fines can be levied, and whether Stanton or the landowner or both would be responsible for paying them.

The next Vassalboro Planning Board meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 2, in the town office meeting room.

CHINA: Officials discuss changes to phosphorus control ordinance

/0 Comments/in , /by
China Town Officeby Mary Grow

At a short Oct. 28 meeting, three China Planning board members and Codes Officer Nicholas French discussed proposing changes in the town’s Phosphorus Control Ordinance, last revised in 1993.

The ordinance is found on the town website, chinamaine.org, as Chapter 4 of the Land Development Code. It says its purpose is “To control the amount of phosphorus entering China Lake and Three Mile Pond from all new development.”

Board Chairman Toni Wall had reviewed the four-and-a-half page document and recommended only minor clarifications and updates – for example, using current titles of state documents referenced in the ordinance.

French told board members he thinks China’s subdivision ordinance should be on their list for review. And, he said, new state legislation will require municipalities to amend other ordinances to conform to state regulations, he thinks by 2027.

Wall remembered the last time legislators required ordinance changes, the revisions were so complex that board members asked town attorney Amanda Meader to draft them.

Board members canceled their Nov. 11 meeting, since it would fall on the Veterans Day holiday. Unless an unexpected urgent matter comes up, their next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25.

OAKLAND: Town announces opening of Phase I of ATV/multi-use trailhead

/0 Comments/in , /by
submitted by
Kelly Pinney~Michaud
Town Manager, Oakland

The Town of Oakland is pleased to announce the completion and official opening of Phase 1 of the Oakland Kennebec Valley Trailhead Project, marking an exciting milestone in expanding recreational access and outdoor opportunities for residents and visitors. The trail officially opened on Friday, October 24, with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The Town received an $85,000 Municipal/ATV Club grant in August to fund this project and several upgrades to landowner trails.

Located at Williams Court on RSU #18 property, this new trail entrance to the Kennebec Valley Rail Trail provides direct access to a growing network of trails connecting riders, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts to scenic areas throughout neighboring communities and the State of Maine. The project reflects a strong collaboration between the State of Maine Department of Parks & Land, the town of Oakland, the Messalonskee Trail Riders ATV Club, RSU #18, and regional and state partners dedicated to enhancing safe, sustainable recreation.

Phase 1 of the project included the construction of trail access from Williams Court. These features lay the groundwork for future phases that will continue expanding the trail network and amenities. Phase II will include a parking lot on town-owned land that will be adjacent to the Kennebec Valley Rail Trail, in the meantime truck and trailer parking for ATVs will be allowed to park at the Oakland Town Office on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only. There is NO parking on RSU #18 property.

“We’re thrilled to open this first phase of the trailhead,” said Town Manager Kelly Pinney-Michaud. “This project represents several years of coordination, community support, and a shared vision to create a recreational asset that benefits residents, visitors, and especially our local economy.”

The Town extends its gratitude to the Oakland ATV Committee, Oakland Public Works Department, Boyd Snowden, Municipal Engineer, Messalonskee Trail Riders ATV Club, local volunteers, and regional partners for their ongoing support and dedication to the project.

For more information about the Oakland Multiuse Trailhead Project or future phases, please contact the Kelly Pinney-Michaud, Town Manager at (207) 465-7357.

VASSALBORO: Control work needed to protect water quality at three central Maine lakes

/0 Comments/in , /by
Vassalboro Town Officeby Mary Grow

The Oct. 30 Vassalboro Select Board meeting began with a presentation on run-off control work needed to protect quality in Webber Pond, Threemile Pond and Threecornered Pond (see box).

Earlier in October, Town Manager Aaron Miller received and shared with board members draft water quality reports from the three watersheds. The multi-page reports were prepared by Ecological Instincts, of Manchester, with funding and assistance from federal, state and local governments, numerous organizations and local volunteers.

Mary Schwanke, from the Webber Pond Association, shared with select board members a single-page document listing sites for which the Town of Vassalboro is responsible that are contributing pollution to Threecornered and Webber ponds. Most are culverts that need better run-off control.

Two culverts on Cross Hill Road and two on Stone Road affect Three-cornered Pond. Five more, on Cross Hill, Seaward Mills and Crowell Hill roads and Quaker Lane, and a stream crossing and culvert on Whitehouse Road, affect Webber Pond.

Schwanke explained that the lakes already have a lot of phosphorus in their bottom soils, from years of agricultural run-off. When warmer water reaches the bottom of the lake, phosphorus is released, feeding algae and phytoplankton blooms.

The first step in improving water quality is to reduce new phosphorus inflows. Then, Schwanke said, the focus can shift to getting rid of existing phosphorus.

Drainage chain

Three-cornered Pond is at the top of a drainage chain that runs via Barton Brook into Three-mile Pond and via Seaward Mills Stream into Webber Pond. Webber Pond drains via Seven-mile Brook into the Kennebec River.

Three-cornered Pond is in Augusta; Threemile pond is shared among China, Vassalboro and Windsor; and Webber Pond is in Vassalboro.

Once the watershed reports are in final form, including action plans, they will be widely publicized.

Most of the new phosphorus comes from residential development around the lakes – individual homeowners’ gravel or paved driveways and other features that don’t absorb rainwater. Schwanke said homeowners will receive individual letters about their properties.

Miller recommended a series of town actions, in addition to road work.

He advised starting with better enforcement of local water quality ordinances. The codes officer and the planning board would play leading roles. The town could help get grants for watershed work and could support local education and training, which he and Schwanke think are important.

“It has to be people understanding that their property has an impact on water quality,” Schwanke said.

Schwanke and Miller agreed that the recommended improvements to Vassalboro culverts are probably “not out of reach, dollarwise.” Rough cost estimates are mostly under $5,000 per site.

Select board members want to find out whether photos of properties around lakes and streams could be added to tax records, to document conditions as they change.

In other business, board members decided that on Nov. 11, Veterans Day, the transfer station will be closed, along with other town services.

They approved the Vassalboro Sanitary District’s board of trustees meeting in the town office meeting room and recording their meetings with town equipment until they have their own equipment.

They accepted a bid of slightly over $3,100 to replace the sand and salt shed door, as recommended by Public Works Director Brian Lajoie.

They discussed several ongoing issues, including the 2025-26 meeting calendar for the select board and budget and school committees, which is almost in final form; the town’s personnel policy, also very close to its final form; and funding to replace the Mill Hill Road bridge.

The meeting included a lengthy executive session, after which no action was taken.

The next Vassalboro select board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 13. Miller expects the agenda will include a review of the audit for the fiscal year that ended June 30, with auditor Ron Smith present.