Planners approve Novel Energy Systems for solar development

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by Mary Grow

At their Nov. 28 meeting, China planning board members unanimously approved Novel Energy Systems’ application for a solar development, probably a community solar farm, on the section of Parmenter Hill Road known as Moe’s Mountain.

The application was first discussed at the board’s Sept. 26 meeting (see the Oct. 5 issue of The Town Line, p. 2). A public hearing was held at the Nov. 14 meeting (see the Nov. 23 issue of The Town Line, p. 2).

Board members’ questions and requests for clarification covered buffers around the development, run-off controls, proposed lighting (only over a sign with emergency numbers), noise, traffic and other disturbances (after construction is complete, none) and other topics related to the 15 criteria a development must meet under China’s ordinances.

Approval came with several conditions, mostly routine (like requiring a letter from the appropriate local fire chief saying the project has adequate emergency access). Novel representative Ralph Addonizio accepted all without objection.

Board members required Novel to provide the town a copy of the state’s approval of the project’s decommissioning plan, and to notify China’s codes officer of the construction supervisor’s name when that person is chosen (probably in the spring, Addonizio said).

After the final vote, board co-chairman James Wilkens reminded Addonizio that there is a 30-day appeal period. None of the neighbors who testified and asked questions at the Nov. 14 hearing attended the Nov. 28 meeting.

In other business Nov. 28, board members postponed discussion of two pending town ordinances. They intend to review another version of a solar ordinance before their next meeting; and to talk with select board members about draft revisions to China’s Planning Board Ordinance, probably at the Dec. 4 select board meeting.

Wilkens announced that codes officer Zachary Gosselin resigned and Nicholas French has returned to the position.

The next planning board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 12. Wilkens canceled the second December meeting, which would have been Dec. 26; no one objected.

China select board discusses land use in town

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by Mary Grow

China select board members’ Dec. 4 meeting included two discussions related, in different ways, to land use in town, with a lot of unanimous votes on other topics in between.

Board members again considered proposed changes to the town’s Planning Board Ordinance, with planning board co-chairman Toni Wall joining from the audience. Select board members unanimously approved three provisions, two of them changes.

— They want planning board members to be appointed, not elected.
— They want to abolish the four planning board districts and have all five regular members and one alternate member appointed from anywhere in town.
— They want to continue having planning board members serve two-year terms (with re-appointment always possible).

Other ordinance revisions were also suggested, and might be discussed at the planning board’s Dec. 12 meeting.

A revised ordinance will need voter approval in 2024. Select board members will decide whether to add a local ballot on March 5 with the state presidential primary, or to include a vote on the ordinance at the June 11 town business meeting.

Select board member Janet Preston raised the second issue near the end of the meeting. She had done research on conserved land in Maine towns that are comparable to China in various ways and found that, on average, these towns have 12 or 13 percent of their land conserved, often for public recreation, compared to less than one percent in China.

Fellow board members asked for a more specific study, for example looking at only town-owned public land, so that state parks would not skew the figures. Preston said she will continue to work with the idea.

In other business Dec. 4:

— Select board members reviewed four bids for summer mowing and unanimously awarded the contract to Bruce Danforth, of Embden, low bidder at $25,000.
— They unanimously approved renewing the agreement giving Albion residents limited use of China’s transfer station, to supplement Albion’s curbside pick-up program for 2024.
— Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood presented eight town policies, some for renewal and some for re-approval with minor changes. Board members unanimously approved all policies as presented. (Town policies are on the China website, china.govoffice.com.)
— Hapgood presented a tentative timeline for development of the 2024-25 municipal budget and related actions in preparation for voter decisions.

The next China select board meeting will be Monday evening, Dec. 18. The first two meetings in January 2024 will be Tuesday, Jan. 2, and Tuesday, Jan. 16, since those weeks begin with Monday holidays.

CHINA: New logo approved for town

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by Mary Grow

At their Nov. 20 meeting, the majority of China’s select board members enthusiastically and unanimously approved a new town logo, designed by board member Jeanne Marquis.

New logo design

Marquis showed how the simple, symmetrical design can be used as a letterhead for town stationery, on town vehicles and on T-shirts and caps, in color or in black and white.

Summer intern Bailee Mallett and town office staff members started the project earlier this year. After Mallett left, Marquis took over leadership, volunteering her time and artistic skill.

Board members Wayne Chadwick, Brent Chesley and Janet Preston praised the work and voted to adopt the logo, with Marquis abstaining and Blane Casey absent.

Other decisions at the Nov. 20 meeting included:

  • Re-election of Chadwick as board chairman and Preston as secretary;
  • Appointment of Scott Monroe to the Thurston Park Committee and Bradford Sherwood to the Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee; and
  • Approval of a one-year contract renewal with town attorney Amanda Meader, for calendar year 2024.

Board members reviewed a revised draft of the Planning Board Ordinance, based on versions prepared by Meader and planning board members. The select board majority disagrees with the planning board on a major issue: planning board members want to continue to have the board elected by voters, select board members want the power to appoint the planning board.

Sheriff warns drivers about deer traffic

At the Nov. 20 China select board meeting, Deputy Jacob Poulin, of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, issued a warning to drivers to be especially watchful for deer this time of year. November is mating season and hunting season, and deer are paying less attention than usual to traffic, he said. There have been multiple accidents in the area.

Related issues to be resolved before a final draft is presented to voters are whether to retain the district system (each of four planning board members elected from one of four districts in town, plus two members elected from anywhere in town) and how long members’ terms should be.

On other subjects, Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood expected to have more information at future meetings on plans for the storage vault at the town office and on changes at Waterville-based Delta Ambulance, which serves China and other area towns.

The manager announced that a caucus to select an elected or appointed municipal official to serve on the Kennebec County budget committee from District One, which includes China, is scheduled for 6 p.m., Thursday, December 7, at the Windsor town office. More information is available at the China town office.

Hapgood reminded those present that on Monday, Dec. 11, the town office and public works department will be closed from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for China employees’ appreciation day. The transfer station is not open Mondays.

The next regular China select board meeting is scheduled for Monday evening, Dec. 4.

WINDSOR: Rescue director addresses complaint of response time

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by The Town Line staff

At the October 24 meeting of the Windsor Select Board, Raymond Chavarie, Director of Windsor Rescue, addressed the board about an article noting a resident unhappy with rescue response time for a certain call in Windsor. He noted response times recorded from dispatch services and logged of a certain call. The call came into the dispatch center at 5:20 p.m., and dispatched at 5:23 p.m., with the Windsor Rescue Unit leaving the station at 5:27 p.m. The rescue unit was on-site at 5:30 p.m.

Chavarie explained that all are volunteers and get there as quickly as possible. In any emergency, five minutes can seem like an hour to someone. It is the first responders’ job to get there and do what they can before paramedics arrive. Chavarie said he welcomes the younger generation to get involved, and be trained to fill some much-needed shoes.

Carol Chavarie asked the board if the town could post on the website asking residents to mark their mailboxes and houses more clearly. Fire and rescue units need to be able to find the homes in case of an emergency and some homes just aren’t marked. She also asked if the town has an ordinance on factory start times. She said the asphalt company in town starts work very early in the morning. Town Manager Theresa Haskell said she would look into the matter.

Haskell reported that the transfer station is still currently down one employee. Many town employees have been volunteering their time to cover at the transfer station, but she noted state restrictions on running certain equipment under the age of 18 have made things difficult. The select board proposed public works assume supervisory responsibilities until the transfer station is fully staffed and the role of a supervisor has been re-established. Currently, there are five members on the transfer station committee, Barbara Seaver-West, John Deeds, Tom Reed, Cheryl Pratt and David Coons.

Animal Control Officer Ryan Carver has reported a lot of calls for animal control, some requiring the assistance of state police and sheriff’s department deputies. Haskell said she would be meeting with the Chelsea town manager in December to talk about options for coverage and back-up for animal control in surrounding towns.

In other business, Haskell noted:

  • Raymond Chavarie has resigned as a member of the Windsor Educational Foundation and Reed Fund, and that the position would be advertised.
  • The resident looking for information regarding the proposed new power line that may come through Windsor was given information by the town office staff and helped put “her mind at ease.”
  • The position of deputy clerk and transfer station attendant would be advertised.
  • Select Board member Chester Barnes Jr. and Codes Enforcement Officer Arthur Strout met with a resident to review what the requirements are for her property to be considered a residence. She was given a copy of the town’s building code.

NOVEMBER 7, 2023

At their November 7 meeting, the Windsor Select Board was told by Keith Hall, public works supervisor, that the new employee has been shown the plow routes and that all went well.

The department is currently down one truck, and is at the shop for repairs. The Western Star truck #5 is back in service following repairs at O’Connor’s, in Augusta, and the work cost $6,459.

Hall also reported that James Page would stay on as a fill-in driver. Resident Tim Coston mentioned the several years of service Page has given to the public works department.

Hall also noted that with good weather, the paving job will be finished on Vigue Road, completing this year’s paving contract.

There was some discussion about the cement wall at the transfer station. Town Manager Theresa Haskell mentioned she has tried to get Avery Glidden to come and fix the wall, but he hasn’t returned the calls. Hall has received a couple of quotes. No decision was reached.

In other business:

  • Haskell reported Delta Ambulance’s third quarter report. She noted that Tim Beals has stepped down as executive director for Delta and is being replaced by Chris Mitchell as the interim executive director. Haskell received information that Delta will be selling the Cony Road location, in Augusta, and there isn’t much more information on the closure or relocation, which is said to be taking place to a southern locale.
  • Haskell received the state of Maine check that Maine towns will be receiving to offset general assistance costs. Towns will be sharing $8.5 million, of which Windsor’s share will be $521.25. The money will go into a miscellaneous town revenue account.
  • Haskell noted that as of the November 7 meeting, there have been no applications received for the part-time transfer station attendant position.

The next meeting of the select board was scheduled for November 21.

Vassalboro planners discover omission in solar ordinance

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by Mary Grow

In the course of exploring two applications for solar power developments at their Nov. 14 meeting, Vassalboro planning board members found what most of them consider an omission in the town’s new solar ordinance.

The application that raised the issue was from ReVision Energy for a small array on Route 32 (Main Street) to provide power to several apartment buildings in the same ownership (see the Oct. 12 issue of The Town Line, p. 3). Board members decided the project was not commercial, because no power will be sold.

Therefore it does not need board approval; and it does not need a decommissioning plan to describe how it will be dismantled and its components removed when its useful life ends.

The project is proposed to have 176 solar panels. Board members asked what will happen to them – and for that matter, what will happen to the hundreds of individual residential rooftop and ground-mounted solar panels already in place in Vassalboro.

Two planning board members have solar installations, one with 20 panels and one with 32. No one knew where no-longer-needed panels are supposed to go. Board members said the State of Maine has no disposal regulations.

Whether Vassalboro should amend its ordinance to add decommissioning provisions to non-commercial projects was left undecided. Several board members advised waiting for more examples, not acting on the basis of a single application.

The new application on the Nov. 14 agenda was a preliminary discussion of another project by ReVision Energy. It is intended to be commercial, with power sold to area residents (a community solar farm, or CSF) or to small businesses.

The site is on land owned by Eileen M. Flanagan, at 1026 Webber Pond Road, south of Vassalboro Community School. It is not far from a previously-approved solar project by SunVest that meeting participants said is under construction.

ReVision project developer Alex Roberts-Pierel described the property as an agricultural field along the road with a wooded area to the back boundary. The landowners want the solar development in the wooded area, away from the road and neighbors along the road.

To make space for a commercially viable operation Roberts-Pierel asked for a waiver of the 150-foot setback requirement from the rear boundary, reducing the setback to 50 feet. Board members consulted ordinance requirements for a waiver, leading to a discussion of what hardship the developer would suffer if it were denied and what alternatives were available (like reducing the size of the project or using part of the field).

Roberts-Pierel intends to ask the two abutting landowners for their input on the buffer. He pointed out that he cannot prepare detailed engineering plans until he knows whether the waiver is granted.

Preliminary plans, he said, call for using about five acres for fixed (non-tracking) solar panels 10 to 12 feet tall, enclosed in an agricultural-type fence the state Department of Environmental Protection recommends. The application will include a decommissioning plan and funding for it.

He said Vassalboro’s requirement for monitoring wells is unusual, and asked what ReVision was supposed to monitor for. Board members explained the requirement was a response to concerns about possible leaching from damaged panels (cracked by hail or fallen trees, for example).

The next regular Vassalboro planning board meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5.

Vassalboro select board discusses many issues; no decisions

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by Mary Grow

At their Nov. 16 meeting, Vassalboro select board members talked again about the fire station roof, a generator for the town office and recording board meetings (theirs and other town boards), and revived a topic not discussed for years, membership in Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG).

They made no final decisions.

KVCOG executive director Matthew Underwood said of the 62 municipalities in the area his organization covers, 55 are members. Vassalboro used to be; no one could remember when or why membership was dropped.

Underwood provided information on KVCOG’s services to members. Many involve drafting documents, like new or revised comprehensive plans and ordinances. For example, he said, a new state law requires Maine municipalities to update their housing ordinances; KVCOG staff can help.

His organization assists non-member towns, too, he said, but at a much higher cost, like twice the hourly rate for work done for member towns.

Underwood estimated Vassalboro’s annual dues would be around $6,000. Some members make up for the dues in savings, he said, for example by joining KVCOG’s collective buying programs for things like road salt.

Board members want to find out why Vassalboro left KVCOG and consider what town needs the organization can help meet before they make a decision.

The fire station roof question was, again, whether to repaint (the initial plan, until it turned out to be expensive), replace or repair. Town Manager Aaron Miller said he had a roofing company representative inspect it; the main problem seems to be the chimney and immediate surrounding area.

Board member Frederick “Rick” Denico, Jr., thought chimney repairs would suffice. The roof has places where the paint has peeled, but aerial photos show no rust or pitting, he pointed out.

Miller will talk with fire chief Walker Thompson about the chimney and funding for repairs, and will try to find out whether the roof leaks.

Turning to the generator issue, Miller said the two bids received in February are still valid. After almost half an hour’s discussion of how and how often the generator would be used, board members asked Miller to seek price quotes from the same companies for a smaller generator.

The Nov. 16 meeting was recorded, like the Nov. 2 one (see the Nov. 9 issue of The Town Line, p. 3). Miller is still acquiring equipment for putting meetings on line. Denico described a “frame-grabber” that will make it possible to display documents as they’re discussed.

Board chairman Chris French reminded his colleagues of the need for a policy to regulate on-line public participation. The topic was proposed for the board’s Dec. 7 meeting.

There was a brief discussion of the pending bridge posting on Mill Hill Road, but none of other topics in what Miller labels the “Parking Lot” at the bottom of the agenda: review of Vassalboro’s marijuana and Tax Increment Financing ordinances, the recreation committee bylaws and the town personnel handbook.

The next Vassalboro select board meeting is scheduled for Nov. 30. It will begin with a 6:30 p.m. public hearing on seven applications for 2024 auto graveyard and junkyard permits and one for an auto hobbyist permit. They are shown in the graphic below.

China planners hold rescheduled meeting on solar farm

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by Mary Grow

On Nov. 14, China planning board members held their rescheduled public hearing on Novel Energy Systems’ proposed community solar farm on Parmenter Hill Road, the section locally known as Moe’s Mountain.

Attendees included nearby landowners who attended the Sept. 26 preliminary discussion and Novel representatives. Main issues were those already raised Sept. 26 – possible contamination, effects on property values and decommissioning at the end of the facility’s useful life (see the Oct. 5 issue of The Town Line, p. 2).

In the interim, codes officer Zachary Gosselin had provided a copy of Novel’s information at the China town office for interested parties to read.

Novel permitting specialist Scott Tempel repeated information he offered Sept. 26, for example that there are no known cases of aluminum or other metals leaching from solar panels – or from widely-used aluminum siding, he added – into soil or groundwater. His assurances were again met with skepticism.

Novel plans soil testing to establish a baseline as part of project construction.

Abutter Jennifer Whitney asked if there would be battery storage on site. The answer was no; there is on some projects, but none is planned here, and adding it at a later date would require another planning board permit.

Tempel again said there will be erosion control measures in place during construction, and that maintenance of the facility will involve planting native grasses and plants that attract pollinators, with occasional mowing. No chemical herbicides will be used.

After the three-quarter hour hearing, board members indicated they will review Novel’s application again at their next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday evening, Nov. 28. A decision is possible if they find the application complete.

They briefly discussed another set of amendments to China’s Planning Board Ordinance, in preparation for a presentation to China select board members at that board’s Nov. 20 meeting.

CHINA: Two positions filled with write-ins

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by Mary Grow

Two positions on China boards have been filled, after Nov. 7 write-in votes were counted and winners informed.

Town Clerk Angela Nelson reported incumbent Michael Brown received six votes for the District 1 planning board seat, and incumbent Michael Sullivan received five votes for the District 3 budget committee seat. Both have accepted re-election.

The town website, china.govoffice.com, says there is still an opening for a planning board member from District 4, the southwestern quarter of the town.

Appointed boards that need additional members include the comprehensive plan implementation committee, the board of appeals (two open positions) and the board of assessment review (an alternate member). These board members are not appointed by districts.

Residents interested in serving on any of these boards or committee are invited to call the town office at 445-2014.

China TIF committee hears reports

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by Mary Grow

Members of China’s Tax Increment Finance (TIF) committee met Oct. 30 to receive progress reports on town projects funded with TIF money.

Representatives from the China Lake Association, China Region Lakes Alliance, Four Seasons Club, Thurston Park committee and China Broadband committee reported on expenditures and plans. Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood summarized town use of TIF money.

The Four Seasons Club uses TIF funds to rebuild recreational trails in China. Club president Tom Rumpf said the goal is trails so good they will need only routine maintenance in the future.

He told Hapgood the annual Ice Days fishing derby that the club coordinates is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024.

China Region Lakes Alliance executive director Scott Pierz and China Lake Association president Stephen Greene explained hold-ups in some of the work planned in the China Lake watershed to improve the lake’s water quality.

Earlier this fall, the lake association and the Kennebec County Soil and Water Conservation District received a federal Clean Water Act grant for about $100,000, to be spent in 2024 and 2025. Greene intends to use the TIF grant and other association money toward projects carried out under the grant.

Hapgood said once money is approved for a project, it carries forward if the planned work gets postponed.

Committee members decided to set Friday, Dec. 29, as the deadline for submitting applications for TIF funding for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

The TIF committee advises select board members on how to allocate TIF funds each year, after committee members review proposals and recommend expenditures. The money comes from taxes Central Maine Power Company pays on its north-south line through China and its substation in South China.

The TIF program was created by the Maine legislature and is overseen by the state Department of Economic and Community Development. Participating municipalities develop local plans for using TIF funds, which local voters approve.

China’s 60-page “Second Amended TIF Program,” approved in 2021, is on the website china.govoffice.com, under the TIF Committee in the category Officials, Board & Committees.

Committee members scheduled their next meeting for Monday evening, Jan. 22, 2024.

China committee re-explains fees at transfer station

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by Mary Grow

At their Nov. 14 meeting, China transfer station committee members re-explained that facility users should expect to be charged for many items they donate to the free-for-the-taking building.

Not everything that someone donates is picked up by someone else, and rejects end up being thrown out. If the item can be disposed of without cost, like metal, glass that is crushed and used for road mix or clothing that goes to the separate donation box down the hill, there is no fee.

If getting rid of the item will end up costing taxpayers money, there is a fee.

Sometimes, as committee chairman Paul Lucas illustrated, the fee is reimbursed. Lucas remembers paying $2 to leave something and, when it was picked up before he left the premises, getting his money back.

He and Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood both suggested an alternative disposal method for things that seem too good to throw away: put them by the road with a “Free” sign and watch them go.

The other major topic Nov. 14 was the China-Palermo contract under which Palermo residents use China’s transfer station. Palermo select board member and transfer station committee member Robert Kurek said Palermo had just received notice of China’s intention to terminate the contract, effective Nov. 13, 2024.

Kurek expects Palermo officials will ask their town attorney for advice.

Committee members have discussed at length complains about some Palermo residents – “Always just a few,” Lucas commented – who evade rules and when challenged react rudely.

Transfer station stickers now available

New China transfer station stickers are now available at the China town office, for a $2 annual fee. They will be required for China residents to enter the transfer station beginning Jan. 1, 2024.

Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood said the stickers are “cling, not sticky,” so they won’t mess up the vehicle to which they are affixed. They show the vehicle’s license plate number, but not the name of the town, as a privacy protection.

In other business, station Manager Thomas Maraggio reported on pending equipment upgrades and on satisfactory relations with Albion, whose residents are now allowed to dispose of some items not covered by their curbside pick-up program.

Maraggio recommended increasing the budget for equipment maintenance next year.

Director of Public Services Shawn Reed added that his department needs money to fix the leaking roof of the sand shed.

Reed said he is waiting for recommendations from the state Department of Environmental Protection for dealing with PFAS-contaminated water at the transfer station (see the Oct. 19 issue of The Town Line, p. 3).

Committee members scheduled their next meeting for 9 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 19. Lucas indicated he might not be there: after six or seven years on the committee, he is ready to resign and let someone else take his place.

Hapgood reminded him of the shortage of volunteers for town positions.