by Mary Grow

Vassalboro selectmen approved the warrant for the June annual town meeting at their April 20 meeting, agreeing to disagree with the budget committee’s recommendation on the one spending question on which the two boards differ.

They also continued discussion of a new proposal for street lighting that should save money. The issue was not ready for action, because, Josh Heald of Pemco & Company, LLC, said, the Maine Public Utilities Commission needs to make one more decision before companies like Pemco can bid to replace utilities like Central Maine Power Company.

As Philip Haines, chairman of the board of selectmen, summarized the Pemco proposal, the company would replace existing streetlights with LEDs that Pemco would own until Vassalboro paid off the cost of the work, using part of the energy savings for the payments. Once repayment was finished, Vassalboro would have three options: extend the contract and require upgrades; assume ownership of the lights and contract with Pemco to maintain them; or take ownership and maintenance responsibility.
Edward Wright of Sewall Engineering represented Pemco in person at the selectmen’s meeting; Heald joined on a conference call.

Heald said Pemco is a member of the International Dark Sky Association; streetlights it installs face downward to minimize light pollution. Heald and Wright said modern technology allows real-time performance monitoring, so any malfunctions should be quickly corrected.

Vassalboro’s 2016 town meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Monday, June 6, at Vassalboro Community School with action on 2016-17 school and municipal budgets and policy issues. On Tuesday, June 14, voters will decide local elections and whether to continue the written-ballot referendum on the school budget for another three years, and endorse or reject the school budget approved June 6.
Nomination papers for local elective office are available at the town office. Signed papers must be returned by 4 p.m. Monday, May 2.

The monetary issue left with differing recommendations is how much to appropriate from the alewife fund (money from the sale of alewives trapped annually at the Webber Pond dam) for the China Region Lakes Alliance. Selectmen recommend $5,000; a majority of the budget committee recommends $10,000.

In addition to the usual annual spending decisions, voters will be asked to authorize purchase of a new loader for the public works department and a new fire truck. The cost of the loader is capped at $165,000, with funds to come from taxes, the equipment reserve fund and sale of the 1993 loader. The fire truck is capped at $305,000 plus interest, as town officials propose a lease-purchase agreement.

Also in the warrant is a request for authorization for the selectmen to sign necessary documents to let Vassalboro continue as a member of the Municipal Review Committee (MRC), the group behind plans for a new trash disposal facility to serve Maine towns and cities beginning in 2018.

Current contracts to use the Penobscot Energy Recovery Company (PERC) incinerator end in April 2018. The MRC, the group that has represented Maine municipalities in dealings with PERC, has researched options for future waste disposal and chosen a facility to be developed in Hampden by Fiberight as economically and environmentally preferable.

Selectmen also seek voter approval to apply for $1 million in Community Development Block Grant funds to help the Vassalboro Sanitary District carry out plans to connect to the Waterville-Winslow sewer system.

Tax season is hopefully over for most of us unless you file quarterly or late . NOW we have black fly season to look forward to. Oh and for those working in the woods, “mud season”. I do believe mud season came a bit early this year, but there is no way to escape it.

Across the street from me sits what use to be a very nice little house. The elderly lady who lived there was related to many in town. After she passed on and the house was sold, it has gone through numerous people. Finally the bank repossessed it they are now cleaning it out. I have never seen so much stuff come out and be thrown into dumpsters, trailers, pick-ups as this weekend. Being the nosey type, I asked if they had bought it. I was told no, they got a letter telling them to go clean it out. How sad that people just leave what few possessions they have to be thrown on dumpsters or for others to clean out.

On that subject though, I live in a big house and sometimes dream of the day I can look down and see my children cleaning out our house. I am not sure it would make up for all of the messy dirty rooms they had but it would give me some satisfaction.

Is it time to vote for President? This comedy routine is getting old. I just want someone who will protect us from encroaching enemies, not spend our hard earned money on lavish vacations or redoing the white house and who will have expectations that those who can work have to work. Riots in the streets and looting use to be dealt with basically by death, but now it appears to be celebrated. People are becoming more violent and it is not the weapons that are, it is the people themselves. Then there are those who want to allow males and females in the same public bathrooms at the same time. We are suppose to protect our children not set them up like it is a store where someone can pick out the one they want. Where are the child abuse workers and advocates in their opinions on this. We have laws that are suppose to protect children. So we forget them and allow someone who believes or feels they are a different sex to set a precedence whereby child molesters have easy access to children! Great thinking! I long for the 50’s.

I realize this is a dark column this week, but someone has to say it. Until next week…

Mary Lee Rounds 437-2475 mlrounds@hotmail.com