China budget committee approves selectmen spending recommendations

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by Mary Grow

China Budget Committee members approved selectmen’s spending recommendations for the 2021-22 fiscal year at an hour-long meeting March 2.

Most votes were unanimous; two appropriations were recommended by votes of 5 to 1.

Tom Rumpf dissented on the vote to appropriate $26,471 to support FirstPark, the Oakland-based business park to which China and 23 other area municipalities contribute. The FirstPark question is Article 15 in the 26-article warrant.

Elizabeth Curtis dissented on Art. 26, the request to authorize spending for each category to continue at the current year’s level if town meeting voters reject the proposed 2021-22 amount. She asked if the article meant that voters would have no chance to have the question explained, objections answered and a revote held.

Town Manager Becky Hapgood replied that depending on the question, a revote could be scheduled. Because of requirements for written-ballot voting, it would take a couple months to organize a second vote.

Some committee members abstained on votes to avoid possible conflicts of interest. For example, three fire department members abstained on the vote to recommend $107,500 for community support organizations, because the total includes what used to be called firefighters’ stipends and are now considered gifts in appreciation of service.

Rumpf, president of the China Four Seasons Club, abstained on two votes related to snowmobiling, and Tim Basham abstained on the vote to fund cemetery maintenance and improvements, because Basham’s Tree Service often gets contracts to take down dangerous trees in cemeteries.

Having completed their review of the warrant, the budget committee adjourned without setting another meeting date.

Voters will act on the proposed expenditures, policy issues and other items by written ballot on Tuesday, June 8. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the former portable classroom behind the town office.

A public hearing on the town meeting warrant is tentatively scheduled for Monday evening, April 26. Hapgood plans to put as much information as possible on the town website and Facebook page and in the twice-a-month mailings from the town office.

China broadband committee: after two hours, they conclude more information needed

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by Mary Grow

China Broadband Committee members spent almost two hours March 4 trying to get their chickens and eggs in the right order – as they repeatedly expressed their dilemma – and came to what has become their usual conclusion: they need more information and another meeting.

Their next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, March 11.

The committee’s assignment is to expand and improve broadband service in China. Consultant John Dougherty, of Mission Broadband, reminded them why the task is important, especially with more people working from home: neither new residents nor new businesses will be attracted to a town that provides inferior broadband connectivity.

Committee member Tod Detre shared Dougherty’s view. Before earlier localized improvements increased internet access at his house on China Lake, he and his wife had seriously discussed whether they would have to move out of town to continue working, he said.

Committee members agreed on two important factors: the service they recommend must cover all households in town, and it must be able to adapt to technological changes.

The committee has responses from three companies – Axiom Technologies, Sertex Broadband Solutions and Spectrum Community Solutions – to the request for proposals they issued in late December 2020. Committee members discussed the possibility of getting in touch with other companies.

They see three main issues on which they need more information to come up with a recommended plan that will meet town needs at a reasonable price.

  • They need to compare the three vendors more adequately. So far they have discussed Spectrum’s offer at most length, and have found a major obstacle.
  • They need to get more information on costs and returns and consider how to cover costs.
  • And they need to find out with reasonable accuracy how many China residents would sign up for and pay for better service.

They see the three as so interdependent that they could not decide which to attack first. The quality of service will help determine the number of users; the number of users will be a major determinant of income; income will affect costs and how they are paid; costs will affect the number of users; and so the circle goes.

Another point of agreement was that at future meetings, committee members should focus on a single topic. Committee members Detre and Neil Farrington suggested, in no particular order, discussion with Axiom representatives; discussion with Sertex representatives; plans for a community education program; and funding.

Committee member Jamie Pitney, a lawyer, pointed out the problem with Spectrum’s proposal: the town would be expected to fund it through a bond issue, but Spectrum would continue to own the lines, and in Pitney’s opinion state law does not allow a town to bond something it would not own.

The expected revised proposal from Spectrum had been received, but it offered no solution to the legal issue.

Several committee members, without doubting Pitney’s expertise, proposed getting an opinion from Town Attorney Amanda Meader as a more official statement. Janet Preston, the committee’s ex officio member representing the selectboard, volunteered to ask Town Manager Becky Hapgood if there is money left in the current year’s legal account to reimburse Meader.

Vassalboro selectmen schedule special meeting

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro selectmen have scheduled a special in-person meeting at 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 16, in the town office conference room. Because the only agenda item is the annual evaluation of the town manager’s job performance, the meeting will be in executive session.

Vassalboro planners approve fishway construction

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro Planning Board members have unanimously approved construction of a fishway at the China Lake Outlet Dam in East Vassalboro.

At the March 2 planning board meeting, Matt Streeter, Alewife Restoration Initiative (ARI) Project Manager for Maine Rivers, explained what will be done at the dam as part of the plan to allow alewives to migrate from the Atlantic Ocean into China Lake, via the Kennebec and Sebasticook rivers and Outlet Stream.

ARI has been removing dams or installing fishways on Outlet Stream for several years, with financial support from the towns of Vassalboro and China. A main assumption is that when alewives leave China Lake in the fall to return to the ocean, they will take with them unwanted phosphorus from the lake water.

Also, Streeter promised, during spring and fall alewife migrations people living near the stream will see “eagles, great blue herons, all kinds of new wildlife” eager to feed on the small fish.

The only remaining obstacle is the Morneau dam between East and North Vassalboro, Streeter said. He is in negotiations with the dam owners.

Maine Rivers Executive Director Landis Hudson said in an email that the Outlet Dam fishway was designed by the engineering firm of Vanasse Hangen Bruslin (VHB), based on the United States Fish and Wildlife Service staff’s concept. Streeter showed planning board members detailed plans.

The concrete fishway will be along the east side of the stream. A small new gate on the west end of the dam will “cushion the path downstream for the alewives” in the fall, Streeter said.

The plan includes protection of an area where the state Historic Preservation Commission is concerned about buried Native artifacts, erosion and sedimentation control measures and revegetation over two years with native plants and shrubs.

ARI has its permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, which is involved because a very small portion of the work will be below the high-water line. Streeter said the Maine Department of Environmental Protection does not require a Natural Resources Protection Act permit.

The plan does not include a viewing area where people can watch alewives, nor a harvesting area, Streeter said. Town officials preferred encouraging people to watch the fish in North Vassalboro. Harvesting is best done as far downstream as possible, where the fish are most numerous, because some die during the swim upstream.

The town supposedly owns the streamside land that would be affected by the fishway. Streeter said lots were first defined in the 1700s, and titles are clear until the early 1950s, when the American Woolen Company and subsidiaries gave many lots to the town without listing them individually.

Consequently, he found some pieces of land are recorded as belonging to private owners. The town attorney advised not spending money to clear the titles unless someone challenges town ownership, he said.

Planning board members decided not to make land ownership an issue and approved the permit without conditions.

In other business, Codes Officer Paul Mitnik talked briefly about pending issues with abandoned buildings and reminded board members that the April 6 meeting will be the last before he retires, for the third time.

He will continue to serve as alternate codes officer if needed, he said, but “My plan is to just have a lot of fun.”

Board members approved.

VASSALBORO: Town begins receiving solar power from ReVision Energy

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by Mary Grow

At an in-person March 4 meeting, Vassalboro selectmen made minor decisions before turning the Vassalboro Community School gymnasium over to the budget committee and introducing the draft 2021-22 budget.

The selectmen’s part of the meeting included continued planning for this year’s sestercentennial (250th) anniversary of the creation of the Town of Vassalboro on April 26, 1771; Town Manager Mary Sabins’ report on tax-acquired properties (she and selectmen welcome prior owners’ efforts to reclaim them by paying all taxes and fees); and the usual payment of town bills.

John Melrose, chairman of the selectboard, announced that the town started receiving power in February from the ReVision Energy solar installation in Skowhegan to which Vassalboro and other municipalities had contributed. The town’s electric bill went down dramatically.

Vassalboro is in a 20-year contract to buy power from ReVision. In February, solar power provided about 85 percent of Vassalboro’s electricity supply, Melrose said.

Neither he nor Sabins guarantees the decrease will continue to be as great as in the first month, but so far they are pleased with the investment.

Melrose had prepared a slide presentation introducing the proposed 2021-22 budget for the budget committee, with an aerial view of the solar farm on the cover. Among highlights:

  • Excise taxes provided the largest share of Vassalboro’s current-year (2020-21) revenues, at 34 percent. Property taxes were second at 22 percent.
  • From 2015 through 2019, Vassalboro’s local tax rate was lower than the average for Kennebec County and the average for the State of Maine.
  • Money from property taxes was allocated as follows in the current year: 80 percent to education, 12 percent to municipal government and eight percent to the Kennebec County tax.
  • Within the municipal budget, public works got the largest share, 22 percent. Administration was second at 20 percent; paving and road maintenance claimed 18 percent; and solid waste disposal required 14 percent.
  • Looking at the municipal budget in terms of total wages or salaries and benefits for all departments, Melrose found personnel costs were 31 percent of the municipal total. In his summary, he pointed out that the “Payroll/benefit package is market sensitive,” a point Road Commissioner and Public Works Director Eugene Field has made repeatedly as he advocates for locally competitive wages for his department employees.

The budget committee’s first action was to re-elect Rick Denico as chairman. Committee members then briefly discussed parts of the proposed 2021-22 budget with Sabins and selectmen.

Half-way through the discussion, Selectman Robert Browne commented cheerfully that it looked as though the tax rate might go down.

However, budget committee members do not know what school board members plan to request. They are scheduled to meet with the school board at 7 p.m. (the school board meeting will begin at 6 p.m.) Tuesday evening, March 23, at Vassalboro Community School.

The next budget committee meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, March 11, again in person in the school gymnasium. Members decided the main topic will be development of questions to ask selectmen, with answers expected when the two boards meet Thursday, March 18, selectmen at 6 p.m. and the budget committee at 7 p.m.

Mia Dawbin Pine Tree Council’s first female Eagle Scout

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Mia Dawbin, of Sidney Boys Scout Troop #1776, became the first female Eagle Scout in Maine. (contributed photo)

Member of Sidney’s Boy Scout Troop #1776

by Chuck Mahaleris

Mia Dawbin, of Troop #1776, in Sidney, is the first female Eagle Scout from the Pine Tree Council which covers half of the state of Maine.

Dawbin, daughter of Karinna and George “Butch” Dawbin, of West Gardiner, had her Eagle Scout Board of Review on February 8 where she met with Scouting volunteers who reviewed her Scouting career including her leadership positions within the troop, merit badges earned, challenges along the way and her Eagle Scout Service Project during which she found a need, led a team of volunteers and performed 265 hours while putting together care packages for those staying in local shelters. Her Eagle Scout application has since been approved both locally and nationally and she is part of the inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts.

“Mia is a trailblazer, role model, and mentor to the girls in our troop,” Scoutmaster of Troop #1776 Danielle Hileman said. “She has shown in her daily life and community involvement what it truly means to be an Eagle Scout. We are so proud of her and her accomplishments.”

Mia spoke about her Eagle Scout project: “Each volunteer was wearing a mask and gloves to help make sure there was no risk of spreading Covid-19. Buying shampoo, conditioner, and sanitizer by the gallon was far less expensive than buying individual bottles, so I had lots of help from volunteers to divide them into four-ounce bottles. Menstrual products are among the most expensive hygiene products, so each bag for teen girls/adult women included a month or more supply of pads and/or tampons.”

“We may take a warm place to stay and toys/other fun items for granted, but not every child gets that kind of experience. Due to some really generous contributions from community members, we were able to include toys, games, puzzles, play dough, teddy bears, hats, and gloves in every child’s care package,” Dawbin said. “Each of the adult/teen masks were handmade and donated. We put a total of 370 reusable masks into 200 care packages, meaning everyone was able to receive one – two masks. The color coded bags were then sorted into deliveries for eight separate shelters based on the number of people/demographics of each. I wanted to help support the shelters since I know that the CDC guidelines make things difficult for them. So I decided to put together care packages that included reusable masks, hand sanitizer, hygiene products for one month, and a couple of other necessities to each person currently staying at each of eight area shelters including three teen shelters and two domestic violence shelters.” Her project included fundraising, public awareness, collecting items and then distributing the bags to shelters and was completed last Fall during the pandemic.

Mia’s life ambitions include attending college to study psychology, education and wilderness therapy. “As a career I am most interested in becoming a child/school psychologist or working in the wilderness therapy field.”

“For the past few years I’ve really enjoyed working in the Nechemis Program (new Scouts) at Camp Bomazeen, which I intend to continue in the near future. I’ve also liked being a part of National Youth Leadership Training staff for the 2019 course which was held at Camp Bomazeen.” At Maine Connections Academy, she has served as President of the National Honor Society.

Her mom, Karinna Dawbin, said, “I am so excited for the first female Eagle Scout in K-Valley, and as far as I know, the first one in Maine! This girl works so hard to do her best in everything she does. She’s been handed so many obstacles, but she doesn’t let anything stop her from achieving her dreams.”

Luanne Chesley, Advancement Chairman for Kennebec Valley District, organized Mia’s Board of Review. “Becoming an Eagle Scout is the highest honor in Scouting and it’s not just given to you. Mia never looked at challenges while working on her achievement as obstacles. She kept following her dream to be a part of her family’s long line of Eagle Scouts and everything it stands for. Mia is a true role model for others to look up to and admire. Mia is now a marked woman. An Eagle Scout.”

Gagne digital branch manager at New Dimensions FCU

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Teresa Gagne

New Dimensions Federal Credit Union (NDFCU) has announced its new Digital Branch Manager, Teresa Gagne, who began in the credit union industry, as a teller, over 30 years ago. Since then, she has worked her way up and has landed in the lending department, where her indirect lending expertise has been second to none over the past 25 years.

The directors and staff of NDFCU are excited to have Gagne join their team as her extensive experience will be valuable as she settles into her position. Her focal point will start in executing new processes and procedures that will create efficiencies department-wide. She states, “I am really excited to be part of the New Dimensions family and to join a growing team of wonderful people. I have been in the credit union industry with a lot of focus and attention on dealerships and know I can help our members find the car of their dreams. I am also very excited to be able to assist the current indirect team so they can achieve success within their career paths.” Gagne has lived in Waterville for most of her life and enjoys spending time with her husband Steve. Together they share time with their two children, grandchild, and walking their dog.

Ryan Poulin, CEO, states, “We are excited to have Terri join our team. Her years of indirect loan experience will bring our loan department to new levels not only in house but in the dealerships that work with us every day. Terri has hit the ground running since she started, and I look forward to getting her started with our current indirect lending processes and workflows. We welcome her and look forward to working with her in the years to come.”

Rep. Cathy Nadeau announces local projects in Maine DOT work plan

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Rep. Cathy Nadeau (photo from legislature.maine.gov)

State Representative Cathy Nadeau (R-Winslow) has announced that the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) Work Plan for Calendar Years 2021, 2022 and 2023 is available. The estimated value of work in the plan totals more than 2,180 individual work items with a total value of $2.71 billion.

The MDOT Work Plan for House District 78 includes projects totaling $3,250,000 for the towns of Winslow and Benton.

The work includes two large, local projects, a Municipal Partnership Initiative on Benton Avenue ($1.1 million) and replacement of the bridge just before the Benton town line on Garland Road ($1.9 million). The Work Plan also includes improvements to Route 137 and Route 100A in Winslow, Northbound and Southbound bridges on Interstate 95 in Benton and other state roads in the area.

“Everyone recognizes the importance of properly maintained roads and how important they are to everyday life,” said Rep. Nadeau. “I am pleased to see several scheduled MDOT projects in our area, including replacement of a bridge that is over 100 years old. These and other projects to be undertaken during the next three years, will make our roads safer and benefit our local economy.”

The full work plan, searchable by municipality, is available at the Maine Department of Transportation’s website: https://www.maine.gov/mdot/projects/workplan/search/.

China assessors decline property assessment appeal

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by Mary Grow

The three members of China’s Board of Assessment Review, meeting Feb. 24, unanimously denied William and Susan Flanders’ appeal of their property valuation, with alternate member Dwaine Drummond (who votes only if a regular member is absent) indicating that he agreed.

The Flanders own a seasonal dwelling (in assessor William Van Tuinen’s words) or a camp (in the Flanders’ description) at 313 61st Fire Road, on the southwest side of China Lake. Van Tuinen valued it at $188,400. The Flanders asked for an assessment of $170,000, a difference of $18, 400, or 9.77 percent by Van Tuinen’s calculation.

Van Tuinen explained at the meeting and in documents sent to board members in advance that there are two requirements to get a valuation lowered, according to state law and court rulings.

1) The burden of proof is on the taxpayer, who must demonstrate that the assessor was “manifestly wrong” in setting the valuation and must provide proof of a “just” valuation. “Manifestly wrong” means unreasonable or irrational; discriminatory; or fraudulent, dishonest or illegal.

2) Because assessors are fallible human beings, the law provides that an assessment must be “accurate within reasonable limits of practicality.” Specifically, the law allows 10 percent leeway.

The Flanders initially asked selectmen, in their capacity as assessors, to reduce the assessment. After selectmen denied the request on Dec. 7, 2020, they filed an appeal to the Board of Assessment Review on Jan. 12, 2021.

Their appeal included comparisons with other China Lake properties. Van Tuinen explained how an assessor makes comparisons, a more thorough analysis than the Flanders made, in his view.

The property owners also disagreed with Van Tuinen’s finding that the building is in satisfactory condition; on a rating scale from A to D, he gave it a C. Van Tuinen said he had not been inside.

The assessed value is supposed to correlate with the sales price. Van Tuinen said by 2019 figures, China’s average was 92 percent, well above Maine’s acceptable minimum of 80 percent.

Board member Harold Charles, a retired realtor, pointed out that since 2019, prices of Maine real estate have risen. Kelly Grotton, China’s assistant to the assessor, agreed, and after the meeting gave examples of China properties that were recently sold for well over their assessed values.

Discussion ended with board members agreeing unanimously that the assessment was not too low and that even if it were, the requested change was within the 10 percent limit.

Van Tuinen reminded board members they needed to inform the Flanders of the decision and of their right to appeal to Superior Court within 30 days.

China broadband committee makes no recommendations to board of selectmen

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Committee has been reviewing “very different and very complicated proposals”

by Mary Grow

After their two-hour discussion Feb. 18 (see The Town Line, Feb. 25, p. 3), China Broadband Committee (CBC) members spent more than four hours interviewing representatives of three broadband program vendors, with brief intervals of committee reaction, on Feb. 22; and talked another three-quarters of an hour in a time-limited (to allow another committee to meet) Feb. 24 meeting.

They hoped the result would be a recommendation to China selectmen to choose one of the three vendors with whom to negotiate about expanding and improving broadband service.

Instead, the document they approved unanimously for submission to the selectboard’s March 1 meeting contains information about each vendor’s proposal, with no recommendation to prefer one over another. The three vendors are Axiom Technologies, of Machias, Maine; Sertex Broadband Solutions, of Plainfield, Connecticut; and Spectrum Community Solutions, of Augusta, Maine.

A second document, at committee member Jamie Pitney’s insistence, was a request that selectmen include $25,000 in the 2021-22 budget as a first payment on a broadband development fund that will eventually begin to cover a town share of costs.

One factor contributing to CBC members’ difficulty in getting to a recommendation is that the committee has been reviewing “very different and very complicated proposals,” as committee member Tod Detre said during the Feb. 24 discussion. Axiom and Sertex offer similar programs, building networks from scratch with the town ultimately to own the system. Spectrum’s proposal, until Feb. 24, was to extend its existing system in China and to retain ownership under contract with the town.

Its original plan included China borrowing via a bond, and Pitney, who is an attorney specializing in public finance, doubted the legality of bonding for a contract that would not give the town ownership.

A second reason for delaying a recommendation came up just before the Feb. 24 meeting: committee members received notice from Spectrum that a revised proposal that would result in town ownership was in the works.

Detre asked if the revised proposal was the equivalent of a new or late submission and would therefore justify accepting proposals from other vendors who missed, or requested an extension of, the Dec. 31 deadline that Axiom, Sertex and Spectrum met. The committee majority was willing to see Spectrum’s fleshed-out proposal before answering the question.

Consequently, they concluded they could not recommend either Spectrum nor one of the other vendors until they had Spectrum’s updated proposal.

Some of the information from the Feb. 22 interviews:

  • Mark Ouellette, President of Axiom Technologies, said municipal ownership of the system has a big advantage: if townspeople are dissatisfied, they can kick out the service provider and contract with someone else. However, he was confident that if Axiom were chosen, their “world-class service” would attract significant numbers of customers, new ones and Spectrum’s.

Axiom offers tiered service, with monthly charges of $60, $70 or $100. Committee members saw no additional costs. Once the bond proposed to fund the project is paid off, presumably in 20 years, town voters could use the freed-up money for other town purposes or projects or to reduce users’ monthly fees.

  • Mike Solitro, President of Sertex Broadband Solutions, said his company provides prompt service in case, for example, a tree falls on a broadband line, by hiring local linemen and technicians to be on call. In post-interview discussion, Detre said Sertex’s monthly fee for users would be around $70, comparable to Axiom’s.
  • Ben Topor, Spectrum Community Solutions’ Vice-President in charge of the northeast division, said Spectrum is the second-largest cable provider in the United States. Spectrum, like the other two, would provide service to an estimated 120 unserved households, extending its current system. It offers a $29.95 monthly fee that would increase by 4% a year.

However, committee members pointed out in discussion, the $29.95 is misleading in two ways. It assumes every household, estimated at 2,300, sign up, to generate the income Spectrum expects; and it omits money the town would need to spend to hire a firm to do billing, estimated to be at least $20 per month per household.

The China Broadband Committee has scheduled its next meeting for 7 p.m. Thursday, March 4, by zoom. The main agenda item is review of the revised proposal from Spectrum Community Solutions, which committee members expect to receive on March 3.