by Mary Grow

China Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee members had four topics on their minds as they met June 15: money, the second phase of the causeway project at the head of China Lake’s east basin, the impending change in town managers and needed amendments to China’s TIF plan.

The money issue was covered by retiring Town Manager Dennis Heath, whose financial update showed TIF books are in decent shape. A fund redistribution will be needed, however, to finish paying for the causeway project.

The second phase, installing a retaining wall and a walkway along most of the shoreline from west of the new bridge to the boat landing and improving the landing, is scheduled for this summer and fall.

Committee members approved by consensus the plan Mark McCluskey, of A. E. Hodsdon Consulting Engineers, described to the planning board on June 9. It involves seeking bids soon and, after the selectmen approve a contractor, having the work start as late in the summer as possible, to avoid disruptions during the height of boating season.

Incoming Town Manager Becky Hapgood attended the meeting and was asked if she was prepared to take over jobs Heath did during the previous construction, which included financial management and supervision of the work.

Hapgood replied that Heath has been bringing her up to speed, and with help from the committee she is ready. At Heath’s suggestion, committee member Tom Michaud was designated the official representative of the town to oversee the contractor’s work, with the understanding he and Hapgood will collaborate.

Heath said China’s TIF document needs two changes, one to allow TIF funds to be used to promote broadband service and a second to authorize funds for the China Lake Association and the China Region Lakes Alliance to support their water quality protection work.

The changes require committee, selectmen’s, state and voter approval. Committee members would like to have them on the Nov. 3 ballot, which selectmen will be approving late in August. Heath and Hapgood expect the deadline can be met, with assistance from committee members and from Tina Mullins of the state Department of Economic and Community Development, whom Heath commended as very helpful.

The June 5 meeting was the TIF Committee’s first since November 2019, due to early-2020 snowstorm cancellations and then Covid-19. Four members attended, two in person and two via Zoom. The meeting was livestreamed and is available on the town’s website for those wishing to view it.

The next TIF Committee meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 7.

by Mary Grow

China Planning Board members acted on two important issues at their June 9 meeting, setting the schedule for moving the revised comprehensive plan to a November vote and approving Phase Two of the causeway project at the head of China Lake’s east basin.

Planners intend to ask selectmen to review the revised plan at their June 22 meeting. If selectmen are satisfied, they are asked to forward it to the appropriate state reviewing agency. If they make substantive changes, planning board members want to see them before the document goes to the state.

Planning Board Chairman Tom Miragliuolo said he is the state employee usually responsible for reviewing comprehensive plans. He thinks it appropriate for him to delegate review of China’s to a colleague.

Miragliuolo said the state reviewer is allowed up to 35 days, and after the plan receives state approval it needs a public hearing before it goes on a Nov. 3 local ballot. The schedule is “kinda tight,” he commented.

Those who want to read the revised plan can find it on the Town of China website. Under “Officials, Boards & Committees,” go to “Comprehensive Plan – Implementation Committee” and scroll to the bottom of the list, to TOC 2020 COMP PLAN- Final Version May 2020.pdf (<–or click here!).

Engineer Mark McCluskey, of A. E. Hodsdon Consulting Engineers, and Pastor Ronald Morrell, speaking on behalf of the China Baptist Church, joined the virtual planning board meeting for the discussion of the causeway project.

The project, started with construction of the new causeway bridge, is funded by China’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) fund. That fund is supported by taxes paid by Central Maine Power Company on its transmission line through China and its South China substation. China’s TIF Committee makes recommendations to selectmen on use of TIF money; voters have the final say.

McCluskey explained Phase Two involves building a retaining wall along the north end of the lake, with a walkway between it and the road. The wall will line the shore from 100 feet or more west of the new bridge to the boat landing east of the bridge. The boat landing and the parking area across the road will be improved.

Benefits are twofold, McCluskey said: shoreline erosion will be prevented, and pedestrians will have a safe place to walk out of the roadway.

He told Morrell some work will be done on the north side of the causeway toward the church parking lot, but it should not impinge on church property. Any arrangement to use church property, for example to stockpile construction materials, would be between the contractor and church management, he said.

McCluskey said he has the required state and federal permits and, with Planning Board approval, thinks it is time to seek bids for the work. At town officials’ request, he said, work will be postponed as late in the season as possible to allow maximum use of the boat landing.

Whether Causeway Street is closed during construction is also a town decision, McCluskey said. Closing it would probably save money, he said; he predicted bidders would raise their prices if they had to add traffic control to the job.

Planning board members found the project meets all criteria in town ordinances and approved it unanimously. After the board’s action, Miragliuolo issued the usual reminder that abutters and other interested parties have 30 days to file an appeal of the decision.

When the TIF Committee met June 15, members present agreed that McCluskey should prepare bid requests and have committee members review them before he distributes them to contractors and the public. He will also review and tabulate bids received. TIF Committee members would then do their review and submit a recommendation to selectmen.

The next regular planning board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 23.

by Mary Grow

At a short June 8 meeting, China selectmen approved public notices of two informational hearings that will precede the July 14 written-ballot town business meeting, and appointed Rebecca “Becky” Hapgood to succeed Dennis Heath as town manager and to fill Heath’s other positions.

[See also: Becky Hapgood honored for 25 years service to China]

The hearings will be at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 14, in the cafeteria at Erskine Academy, on Windsor Road (Route 32 South), in South China, and at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, in the town office meeting room on Lakeview Drive. Heath and selectmen will explain the warrant articles, which mostly ask voters to approve the recommended 2020-21 budget, and answer questions.

Heath said no more than 50 people will be allowed at each meeting, and they will be expected to practice social distancing. The meetings will also be available as zoom webinars in which people can participate on line and will be broadcast on the town office livestream system.

The June 8 selectmen’s meeting was an example of combining personal presence with distance participation and viewing. Heath and four of the five selectmen, all masked, sat on either side of a long table, separated by plexiglass screens down the middle. A fifth selectman joined via Zoom; and the meeting was live-streamed. Hapgood, also masked, participated from the audience.

Hapgood will become town manager on July 19, when Heath’s resignation is effective. The manager and his wife plan to return to Oklahoma to be near Heath’s mother.

Hapgood also becomes China’s treasurer and tax collector, beginning July 1 with the new fiscal year. The other positions to which she succeeds are ex officio member of all boards and committees; road commissioner; overseer of the poor; Civil Emergency Preparedness director; and public access officer. (State law requires each municipality to designate a public access officer to respond to requests for public records.)

In other business June 8:

• Selectmen unanimously approved continuing with Purdy Powers & Company, of Portland, as China’s auditors. Heath said company employees planned to begin work in July.
• Heath reviewed revenues and expenditures for the first 11 months of the 2019-20 fiscal years and concluded China is in good shape. Revenues have not fallen dangerously, and expenditures are where they should be with the fiscal year almost over. Property tax payments are on the same level as this time last year, the manager said, and a dramatic April decline in vehicle excise taxes was reversed in May.

The next regular China selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 22.

by Mary Grow

In addition to acting on Town Manager Dennis Heath’s letter of resignation (see The Town Line, May 28), China selectmen used their May 26 virtual meeting to review bids received for summer work and award those they decided were necessary.

Heath had divided the bids into topics, as follows: materials, such as sand and gravel (one bidder); mowing, subdivided into cemeteries, ballfields and town properties (four bidders); and paving, subdivided into two categories, a per-ton price for asphalt and a price for chip seal (six bidders).

For materials, selectmen consulted Public Works Manager Shawn Reed, who said some of the bidder’s prices were “pretty decent” but others above current market prices. Board members voted unanimously to reject the bid and in future not to ask for materials bids, but let Reed shop.

For mowing, selectmen rejected bids from one out-of-town contractor, with appreciation for his interest, and awarded all three mowing jobs to low China bidder Colby Rumpf, doing business as Rumpf’s Backyard Services.

They awarded the contract for asphalt paving to Pike Industries, next to lowest bidder, recommended by Heath and endorsed by Selectman and contractor Wayne Chadwick.

Selectmen awarded the chip seal contract to All States. Heath said the process will be used on part of South Road, outside Weeks Mills village. Chip seal, he explained, lays a protective coating over a paved road that should make the paving last longer.

Reed said using chip seal has been discussed for two or three years, as he began hearing that other towns had tried it with good results. It needs to be applied on a very smooth road, he said, and China has lacked suitable roads.

Heath assured selectmen chip seal is not the same as the fog sealant that the state highway department tried in Rome in the fall of 2019, which was said to have made the road slippery and caused accidents.

The only other decision selectmen made May 26, besides the usual bill-paying, was to approve installation of a holding tank to replace a malfunctioning cesspool at a Fire Road 49 property. Codes Officer Bill Butler said he had approved; state approval is also needed.

The next China selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 8. As of May 26, Heath and selectmen plan an open meeting in the town office meeting room.