China TIF committee puts document in near-final form

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by Mary Grow

China Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee members put their proposed revised version of the town’s TIF document in near-final form at their Feb. 25 meeting.

The document, called the Second Amendment (China’s original TIF document dates from 2015, and the first amendment from 2017), still needs minor additions, like inserting the date of the public hearing that is required before voters act on it. Committee member Jamie Pitney proposed Town Manager Becky Hapgood prepare the final draft. Pitney is the main writer for the amendment, with help from Brent Chesley, particularly, and the rest of the committee.

Committee members sent the Second Amendment to China selectmen for review at their March 1 meeting. If selectmen approve, it will appear on the warrant for the June 8 town business meeting. It will also be posted on the town website, china.govoffice.com.

Hapgood said the public hearing is tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, April 26, followed by a hearing on the rest of the town meeting warrant questions. Voters will be able to ask questions about the TIF document, but will not be able to change it.

Hapgood said April 26 will be the first time town officials have tried to hold a public hearing by zoom.

The June 8 town meeting will be entirely by written ballot. For an open meeting, China has a quorum ordinance that requires about 120 voters to attend in person, an impossibility both legally and practically in current circumstances.

After unanimously approving the Second Amendment for forwarding to the selectboard, committee members talked about their next steps as a committee. Suggestions included reviewing and if necessary revising committee documents, like their mission statement and the application form for TIF funds; clarifying procedures for reviewing applications; and strengthening provisions for making sure funds are used for the purposes for which they are granted.

The next TIF Committee meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 24.

China planners say two solar ordinances will not be ready for town meeting

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by Mary Grow

China Planning Board members decided at their Feb. 23 meeting neither of two ordinances they are working on would be ready for a vote at the June 8 town business meeting.

They hope by November to have a new solar ordinance, and probably an addition to the Land Use Ordinance dealing with shoreland stabilization, ready for voters’ action.

The new solar ordinance is a fairly complete draft, but board members continue to tweak it. The basic wording is taken from a Maine Audubon Society document that board member Toni Wall converted to ordinance form and she and the rest of the board adapted to China’s needs.

For example, the Town of China has only four districts. All land not in a shoreland, stream protection or resource protection district is in the rural district. Board members had adjusted the Audubon district list at an earlier meeting; on Feb. 23, they also amended the permitting process for solar projects in the three protective districts.

In related decisions, they redefined the size of projects, enlarging those classified as small or medium for permitting purposes. The initial definition of a small ground-mounted project as less than 100 square feet was changed to allow up to 500 square feet, for example.

Board members talked about how tall solar panels should stand. Most in Maine have lower edges about three feet from the ground, but Codes Officer Jaime Hanson said in other states, panels stand five feet above the ground to allow crops to be grown underneath them.

They discussed whether any of the equipment in a large commercial solar project would make noise, and if so how to deal with it. Board Chairman Randy Downer said noise was a concern to neighbors as the board reviewed the previously-approved project on Route 3.

The second proposed change in town ordinances, regulation of shoreland stabilization projects, would require local provisions adding to state requirements, because China currently uses state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) standards. Hanson described them as a “functional product” that controls run-off into water bodies.

Board members are considering drafting provisions that would exceed the DEP regulation by considering aesthetics and special ecological protections. Their initial focus was on China Lake; they postponed answering Downer’s question about including China’s share of the Three Mile Pond shoreline.

Board member Scott Rollins referred them to the website of the Maine Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC), which regulates land use in Maine’s unorganized territories. The other board members agreed they should read relevant parts.

Board members unanimously approved Downer’s suggestion that he ask a limnologist to offer advice. He has a person in mind, and if she is not available knows where to find others. (A limnologist is an expert on all scientific aspects of inland waters.)

As part of his report to the planning board, Hanson said he has completed the course of study required to become a certified local health officer.

The next China Planning Board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 9.

China selectmen approve warrant for June 8 town meeting

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by Mary Grow

At a long March 1 meeting, China selectmen approved the warrant for the June 8 town business meeting, which was to be reviewed by the Budget Committee at a March 2 meeting.

Selectmen will meet again at 4 p.m. – note the unusual time — Monday, March 8, to review any Budget Committee recommendations that differ from theirs and to sign the warrant.

Town meeting voting will be by written ballot, with polls open June 8 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the former portable classroom behind the town office.

The March 1 meeting included a presentation by Jim Dinkle, executive director of the Kennebec Regional Development Authority that runs FirstPark, the Oakland business park in which China and other area municipalities have invested.

Dinkle, zooming in from home, promised to send documents that selectmen needed to answer some of their questions from his office as soon as possible.

One question was how many China residents have jobs with FirstPark tenants. Dinkle said T-Mobile, the largest employer, does not share information about employees’ home town, but at his office he has figures for other businesses.

He answered another question that is often asked: the FirstPark agreement says member municipalities can get out in the fiscal year after the bond that built the park is paid off, and the bond was paid off in October 2020. It was not clear whether there would be any payment due if a town did opt out.

Dinkle stressed recent efforts to market the park nationally and internationally and talked about promising leads. However, when Selectman Wayne Chadwick asked how many lots had been sold in the last three years, Dinkle replied that none had been sold in that time.

The selectmen’s meeting was followed by a short meeting of the same people in their capacity as Board of Assessors.

The assessors denied Edward Fredrikson’s appeal of his property valuation, because Assessor William Van Tuinen recommended denial and because Fredrikson would not allow Van Tuinen or other officials onto his property to obtain information first-hand. They accepted a check for $2,237.98 for withdrawal of a parcel of land at the Granger Farm LLC from the tree growth program.

After the March 8 brief special meeting, the next regular selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Monday evening, March 15.

Vassalboro selectmen to meet in person

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by Mary Grow

Vassalboro selectmen meet in person at 6 p.m., half an hour earlier than usual, Thursday, March 4, in the Vassalboro Community School gymnasium. The Budget Committee will meet at 7 p.m., same place and same format. Audience members will be required to wear masks, pass the temperature check at the door and observe social distancing.

The selectmen’s agenda includes a land agreement with Kennebec Water District; tax-acquired property; a Maine Department of Transportation request for an over limit permit; and the usual reports and payment of town bills. Board members will make final adjustments to their 2021-22 budget proposal, if needed.

China TIF members endorse $3,000 more to continue China Days, fishing derby

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by Mary Grow

In their informal discussion Feb. 17 as they waited for a quorum to assemble, members of China’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee agreed the Sunday, Feb. 14, fishing derby and the fireworks that followed were well attended and well received (see The Town Line, Feb. 18, 2021).

The fishing derby was sponsored jointly by the China Village volunteer fire department and the China Four Seasons Club. Funds for the fireworks came from the China Days fund, set aside for the annual August celebration, and the selectboard.

During the TIF Committee meeting, members unanimously agreed to recommend an additional $3,000 in TIF support for China Days in 2021-22, so that the winter celebration can continue if town officials so desire.

Otherwise, committee members again postponed their major decision, action to recommend an updated TIF Plan, to be titled the Second Amendment. China’s original 2015 TIF document was first amended in 2017.

Jamie Pitney, a member of both the TIF Committee and the China Broadband Committee (CBC), had drafted and distributed a 29-page document incorporating changes the committee has made. Not all committee members had received it, and only Town Manager Becky Hapgood and two others had had time to read it, so action was postponed.

“I’ve never signed a contract without reading it,” committee member Mickey Wing commented as he favored postponement.

Committee members were to submit any proposed changes, or a note of approval if they recommended no changes, by Feb. 21. They scheduled another meeting for 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25. The CBC also needs to meet that evening, Pitney said, so Hapgood told TIF Committee members they would have 45 minutes, to allow a 7 p.m. CBC meeting.

The revised TIF document includes assistance with broadband service as a new category, now that state regulators allow it. However, Pitney said, uses are limited to expansion to unserved areas, so not much of China’s planned improvements will be eligible for TIF funds.

The TIF document makes recommendations for allocating funds to different purposes, like China Days and similar events that promote the town, recreational trails, assistance to businesses and other categories. If town meeting voters approve the document, selectmen disburse money in accordance with the plan, on request.

Committee member Robert MacFarland asked whether the plan was too restrictive, making it impossible to assist a worthwhile new venture. Pitney pointed to flexible areas, like money to help with engineers and consultants, and added that another review and update like the current one could make additions.

Committee members decided the Second Amendment should not include a schedule of updates. The TIF Committee will continue to meet, and members can make a future decision about timing an update.

China committee discusses competing broadband proposals

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by Mary Grow

China Broadband Committee (CBC) members discussed competing proposals to improve China’s broadband service for more than two hours Feb. 18, in preparation for virtual interviews with vendors starting at 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22, and a recommendation at a virtual CBC meeting scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24.

The recommendation will go to China selectmen for review at their meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 1.

The three vendors under consideration are Axiom Technologies, of Machias, Maine; Sertex Broadband Solutions, of Plainfield, Connecticut; and Spectrum Community Solutions, of Augusta, Maine.

The only substantive action at the Feb. 18 CBC meeting was a unanimous vote to reject a bid that was submitted after the Jan. 31 deadline for replies to the request for proposals.

Consultants Mark Van Loan and John Dougherty, of Mission Broadband, had received replies to questions they asked of the three competing companies. Two had come in the afternoon of the meeting, and Van Loan said he uploaded them to Sharepoint for committee review.

However, the automatic notice from Sharepont to committee members was evidently not enabled, so they had not seen the responses. They agreed they needed more time and more information to prepare a complete comparison of the plans.

Axiom and Sertex both propose a new town-wide system that would become town-owned. Spectrum, which already provides many China residents with broadband, telephone and/or television, would expand its existing network and continue to own it.

Spectrum has not indicated how long it would take to extend service. Sertex proposes complete installation in two years. Axiom proposes up to a year’s work after engineering plans are complete, a task committee member Jamie Pitney estimated would take a minimum of six months.

One item discussed at length was the cost to consumers, as well as it could be projected from available information. A subtopic was whether, if Spectrum were chosen, payment would come entirely from Spectrum customers, from local taxes or from a combination of the two.

Another major concern was how each company’s proposed technology would adapt to future technological changes, which consultants and committee members consider inevitable, and what if any additional costs would be generated.

If a proposal is to be presented at the June 8 town business meeting, committee members discussed whether they will have time to negotiate with the selected company and to explain their choice to voters. They considered postponing a ballot question to November.

China selectmen work on warrant; move town meeting date

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by Mary Grow

China selectmen continued work on 2021-22 finances and the warrant for the 2021 town business meeting at their Feb. 16 meeting, including moving the town meeting date.

Instead of Tuesday, May 18, the meeting will be Tuesday, June 8, at the same time as voters approve or reject the 2021-22 school budget. Selectmen currently plan a written-ballot vote; they and Town Manager Becky Hapgood are therefore combining expenditure requests and policies to make the warrant as short as they can.

Regional School Unit (RSU) #18 Superintendent Carl Gartley made a preliminary presentation on school finances. He began with charts showing that China’s school is one of the least expensive of 11 in the area, but students score among the top in standardized tests.

China’s school is “one of the cheapest around and getting some of the best results in the area,” he summarized.

Gartley said grants helped cover extra pandemic-related costs. He expects more special funding in the coming year.

The grants could not be used for normal operations, he said, but they did update the bus fleet. The RSU used local funds to accomplish other goals, like catching up with maintenance and promoting energy efficiency.

At this point, Gartley is predicting about a 2.5 percent increase in the 2021-22 school budget, compared to the current year.

Turning to other parts of the budget, Hapgood said she had information from FirstPark Executive Director James Dinkle that the Oakland-based business park intends to charge China about $25,000 for continued membership, payable in December 2021 and May 2022 – and to return about the same amount in revenue in June 2022.

Selectman Wayne Hapgood thought the park should be doing better, considering Maine’s active real estate market. Hapgood said Dinkle expects to sell all remaining lots, given time.

Selectmen decided they need more information before deciding whether to recommend China continue its FirstPark membership.

Board members authorized Hapgood to apply for a 12-week summer intern through the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at the University of Southern Maine. Since the intern’s job would be to promote economic development and business investment in China, the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) fund could pay for him or her.

After a brief discussion of Palermo’s use of China’s transfer station and the amount Palermo pays China, board Chairman Ronald Breton said he and Hapgood will talk with Palermo officials.

The next regular China selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 1.

The food service program, also called the nutrition program or the school lunch program, in Regional School Unit (RSU) #18 (to which Belgrade, China, Oakland, Rome, and Sidney belong) is in debt, like many other food service programs in Maine schools. RSU Superintendent Carl Gartley gave China selectmen a clear explanation of the problem.

The program is not part of the regular school budget and is supposed to be self-supporting, Gartley said. Federal subsidies are based on assumed efficient programs, and small schools with individual kitchens like those in RSU #18 are not as efficient as the federal program assumes.

For example, Gartley said, RSU #18 has five separate programs, each with two or three employees, for a total of a dozen or more people. The federal formula assumes six or seven people can feed all the RSU students, and pays accordingly.

Gartley emphasized that unpaid meal accounts do not contribute significantly to the deficit.

RSU #18, again like other Maine school units, has been paying down the program debt as much as possible, given other needs.

China committee takes first look at 2021-22 budget

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by Mary Grow

China Budget Committee members held their first meeting on the proposed 2021-22 town budget Wednesday evening, Feb. 10. Town Manager Becky Hapgood presented the selectmen’s recommendations, expecting no immediate decisions.

Four topics drew brief discussion.

  • Committee member Elizabeth Curtis queried the request for funds for a building in the China School Forest behind China Primary School. Hapgood replied that proponent Anita Smith foresees using it for year-round programs for children and adults and for storing forest-related equipment and supplies. Smith had given no estimate of the number of people who might use the building.
  • Hapgood summarized the proposal to eliminate the local police force and instead contract for Kennebec County Sheriff’s deputies to cover China 10 hours a week, in addition to the regular patrols. She explained that the part-time officers from other departments who make up China’s local police often lack time to work as many hours as expected.
  • Committee Chairman Robert Batteese asked whether Palermo’s contributions for use of the China transfer station cover costs. Hapgood said selectmen planned to review the contract with Palermo at their Feb. 16 meeting and to talk with Palermo officials.
  • Hapgood said if China repaves the planned five miles of town road in 2021, repaving will be behind schedule. In 2020, she said, six miles of repaving were initially scheduled and four miles were done.

Budget committee members were still waiting for final recommendations from the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee on TIF contributions to the 2021-22 budget, and for bills from Kennebec County and FirstPark, in Oakland. The TIF Committee was scheduled to meet Wednesday evening, Feb. 17.

Committee members decided their next meeting should be to review the selectmen’s warrant for what was then expected to be the May 18 town business meeting, and discussed alternate dates depending on when selectmen put the warrant in final form.

However, selectmen at their Feb. 16 meeting rescheduled the town business meeting from May 18 to Tuesday, June 8, extending deadlines for pre-meeting preparations.

VA to contact vets for vaccine shots

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Veterans Administration facility at Togus. (Internet photo)

The VA Maine care teams will begin to schedule Covid-19 vaccinations for eligible veterans. Through VEText, text messages will inform eligible veterans their facility is offering the vaccine and will come from the short number, 53079.

The VEText program allows veterans to confirm or cancel scheduled appointments and sends reminders for visits via text message.

With VEText, simply text “start” to 53079 to opt-in to receiving VEText messaging. Every enrolled veteran with a cell phone number listed in their health record is automatically enrolled to receive text messages.

The care teams will notify eligible veterans to make a vaccine appointment directly by text message. They will also continue to contact veterans by phone.

Veterans can update phone numbers online at va.gov/profile.

To learn more about VEText, go to va.gov/HEALTH/VEText­–FAQs.asp.

Rep. Bradstreet announces local projects in Maine DOT work plan

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Rep. Dick Bradstreet

State Representative Bradstreet (R-Vassalboro) 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 80 includes five projects for Vassalboro, Somerville and Windsor totaling $1.63 million.
The Work Plan involves paving, reconstructing existing roads as well as rehabilitation.

“MDOT Work Plan projects will benefit our local communities in many ways,” said Rep. Bradstreet. “I am pleased to see several MDOT projects scheduled for the next three years in our area. They will make our roads safer and benefit 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/.