CHINA — The China Appeals Board will meet on Thursday, March 8, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Office Meeting Room to hear a request to reconsider the decision of the Board of Appeals dated February 20, 2018 on two appeals from Bio Renewable Fuels, Corp. for a property located at China Tax Map 29 Lot 15.
China selectmen spent almost half an hour of their Feb. 20 meeting debating whom to appoint to a vacant planning board seat – and the question might not be resolved, because the loser has questioned the process.
The planning board has five members, one chosen from each of four districts and one from anywhere in town (at large), plus an alternate member, elected (or appointed between elections) from anywhere in town and entitled to vote only in the absence of one of the five full members. The vacant seat is the at-large voting position.
Tom Michaud has resigned from the at-large seat. Former board member and chairman Ronald Breton and former member and chairman and current alternate member Jim Wilkens both asked to be appointed.
Neither man ran for planning board in the November 2017 election. Wilkens announced he was retiring, but was elected by write-in votes to the alternate position and accepted the post. Breton ran unsuccessfully for selectman.
Wilkens told selectmen after 14 years on the board, he would like to be a voting member again. Breton said he wants to continue to serve the town.
Selectman Irene Belanger suggested moving Wilkens to the voting position and appointing Breton the alternate member. Breton said he would not accept the non-voting position.
The four selectmen present agreed both candidates were qualified. They discussed procedure at length, ending with three motions on the floor, none seconded: Belanger’s to appoint Wilkens the voting at-large member, Jeffrey LaVerdiere’s to appoint Breton to the position and Chairman Robert MacFarland’s to table the issue until a full board was present.
At that point the missing selectman, Neil Farrington, walked in, surprised by the acclaim with which he was greeted.
After more discussion, MacFarland seconded LaVerdiere’s motion to appoint Breton, arguing that Wilkens should stay in the seat to which he was elected. Breton was appointed on a 4-1 vote, with Donna Mills-Stevens joining Farrington, LaVerdiere and MacFarland in the majority and Belanger opposed.
Later that evening, Wilkens emailed Town Manager Daniel L’Heureux, asking whether the at-least-occasional precedent of making the alternate member a full member when there was a vacancy should be followed; what the appeal process is; and whether Farrington should have voted on an issue discussed in his absence.
In other business Feb. 20, selectmen signed the official warrant for the March 24 annual town business meeting, scheduled for 9 a.m. at China Primary School.
They unanimously authorized L’Heureux to sign a contract with A. E. Hodsdon, the Waterville engineering firm, to act as China’s representative overseeing the planned construction of a replacement bridge at the causeway at the head of China Lake.
In November 2017 China’s TIF (Tax Increment Finance) Committee had cost estimates from A. E. Hodsdon and Wright-Pierce, the contractor for the new bridge. Wright-Pierce’s proposed fee for the work was $23,475; A. E. Hodson’s was $21,172 for oversight.
Selectmen plan to invite landowners Tom and Marie Michaud to discuss the new fire pond on the Michauds’ land on Neck Road. They authorized L’Heureux to take “necessary and prudent” steps to continue development of the pond.
Resident Linda O’Connor responded to questions selectmen asked in January about the LakeSmart program, in relation to the March 24 warrant article asking if voters want to use up to $20,000 in TIF money for the program. After a discussion of the relationship among LakeSmart, the China Lake Association (CLA), the China Region Lakes Alliance (CRLA) and the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), O’Connor asked selectmen to send further questions and suggestions directly to CLA President Scott Pierz and CRLA President Jim Hart and “get me out of the middle.”
Selectmen unanimously approved a consent agreement recommended by Codes Officer Paul Mitnik, fining a contractor $150 for putting in a garage foundation without the inspections Mitnik is required to make under MUBEC (Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code).
The Feb. 20 meeting included an executive session discussion of legal issues with attorney Amanda Meader of Ellis and Meader, in Augusta. The session lasted almost an hour and a half; no action was taken afterward. L’Heureux said Meader has a contract to advise town boards when town attorney Alton Stevens is not available.
To accommodate board members’ travel schedules, the next regular selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Wednesday evening, March 7, instead of the usual Monday evening. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Jim Dinkle, executive director of the Kennebec Regional Development Authority that runs FirstPark, plans to talk with selectmen.
Col. Robert Williams, China resident and chief of the Maine State Police
Robert A. Williams, of China, head of the Maine State Police for the past seven years, has been named director of security at Colby College. His appointment follows an extensive national search. In his 33 years in law enforcement, Williams rose through the ranks, from trooper to ultimately being nominated by Governor Paul LePage to become colonel in 2011. Williams comes to Colby with extensive experience in emergency response planning, personnel management, and organizational development. He begins his work at Colby March 12.
“At a time when the security issues facing colleges and universities are increasingly complex, having a seasoned leader with experience in every aspect of protecting our communities will position Colby for continued strength,” said Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer Doug Terp. “Bob also demonstrates a keen ability to build relationships, which is an important element of this role. We look forward to welcoming him to Colby.”
Williams began his career in law enforcement in 1983 as a trooper for the Pittsfield Police Department. He later became a state trooper in Skowhegan, for 11 years, before rising to the position of sergeant. In 1998 he became lieutenant in the communications unit, and in 2000 he rose to major, overseeing nine units. In 2007 Williams was named lieutenant colonel. His professional development experience includes crowd control and event security, team building and ethics, and extensive leadership training.
“As a native of central Maine, I have watched Colby continue to rise,” said Williams. “I am drawn to Colby’s commitment to excellence, something that I have continually worked toward as a member of the Maine State Police. After a full career in law enforcement, I am excited about the opportunity to interact with a whole new community.”
A graduate of University of Maine, Augusta, Williams earned a master’s degree in criminal justice administration from Husson University, in Bangor. He also attended the FBI National Academy, in Quantico, Virginia. He is a longtime member of the Vassalboro Fire Department, where he has served on the board of directors since 1992.
At Colby, Williams will lead a staff of 40 employees and will manage and administer safety programming, facility security, compliance, training, emergency preparedness, and critical incident management. He will work collaboratively with students, faculty, staff, and other constituents to promote a safe and secure environment.
A resident of China, Maine, Williams and his wife, Joyce, are the parents of two adult daughters with careers in healthcare.
Pictured from left to right, front: Lili Lefebvre, Hayden Hoague, Madison Lully, Samantha Golden, Sarah Praul, and Mackenzie Roderick; back: Nikki Salvadori, Emma Jefferson, Emily Clark, Kayla Peaslee, Samantha Reynolds, Julia Barber, and Coach Ryan Reed. (Contributed photo)
The China Middle School girls basketball team capped off a perfect 19-0 season with a win over Vassalboro in the Sheepscot Valley Athletic Conference Championship Game, 44-36 at Erskine Academy, on February 15.
China selectmen have scheduled their second February meeting for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, since the usual Monday meeting would fall on the Presidents’ Day holiday. The board meets in the town office.
On Monday, Feb. 19, the China town office and transfer station will be closed for the holiday.
The China Winter Family Fun Day is scheduled for Saturday, February 17, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., at the China Lake Camp and Conference Center. Admission, and all activities and food are free.
There will be a groomed sliding hill (sleds not provided), and a cardboard sled race. You build your own sled with cardboard and duct tape. There will be prizes for the race winners.
Heywood Kennel Sled Dog Adventures will have sled rides. Lunch will be provided by Big G’s Restaurant, of Winslow. Hot chocolate and s’mores will be provided.
The day is being sponsored by Mid-Maine Dental Care, of Winslow, and Bar Harbor Bank and Trust.
China selectmen spent much of their Feb. 5 meeting putting the warrant for the March 24 town business meeting in absolutely final form, in preparation for review by the budget committee the evening of Feb. 6. The last few changes they approved included renumbering the articles, because one number was omitted as drafts changed; deleting an unnecessary reference in the funding article for the LakeSmart program; and increasing the amount they recommended for the China Village library from $100 to $4,500, matching the recommendation for the South China library.
The article that will be renumbered 34 asks voters to appropriate up to $20,000 for the LakeSmart program, which helps lakefront property owners on China Lake control run-off to protect water quality. As drafted, the article included a clause requiring Selectboard approval for spending any of the money “to advance an interest in real property.” LakeSmart spokeswoman Linda O’Connor said the program has no intention of acquiring any such interest; the clause was removed.
In what will be Art. 26, selectmen initially recommended voters give $4,500 to the South China Library and $100 to the Albert Church Brown Memorial Library in China Village, run by the China Library Association. Their rationale was that the China Village library had less need of money, because the association has an endowment fund that totaled more than $450,000 before the recent stock market declines.
Association President Tom Parent explained that a maximum of four percent, $20,000 to $22,000, is withdrawn annually so that the fund will keep the library running in perpetuity. The library’s annual operating budget is around $32,000, Parent said. The difference is made up by donations, numerous fund-raising projects and the town stipend.
Challenged by board Chairman Robert MacFarland for keeping the funds in the comparatively volatile stock market, Parent pointed out that the interest earned on a savings account or bond fund would not begin to cover annual expenses.
Selectmen voted unanimously to increase the recommended appropriation. They did not accept Parent’s second request, that they rewrite the article so that it would allow voters to choose the amount to give each library, below, at or above the recommended amounts.
The library funding article and a few others in the March 24 warrant are closed or capped: the recommended funding amount appears in the body of the article. Most of the rest of China’s expenditure articles begin with “To see what sum” and have amounts as recommendations by the selectmen and budget committee added below the articles; they are called open articles.
Town meeting rules say that when an article is closed, voters can approve the amount as stated or a smaller amount, but not a larger amount. When an article is open, voters can appropriate whatever they see fit.
Parent argued that open articles are more democratic. MacFarland said having all open articles makes it possible for special-interest groups to increase funding beyond selectmen’s intentions, unbalancing town finances.
China’s annual town business meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at China Primary School.
In other business Feb. 5, selectmen voted unanimously to begin the process of seeking a successor to Town Manager Daniel L’Heureux, who plans to retire in June. They rejected O’Connor’s suggestion that they add four residents, one from each area of town, to a selection committee, saying that interviewing and hiring the town manager is the selectmen’s job.
They accepted Thomas Michaud’s resignation as at-large (elected from anywhere in town) planning board member and agreed to advertise the vacant seat.
The selectmen’s meeting was preceded by a bicentennial celebration in the former portable classroom, at which Bicentennial Coordinator Neil Farrington and about three dozen residents of all ages discussed China’s history, and a fireworks display that audience members agreed was one of the best in China in years. The occasion was the 200th anniversary, to the day, of the creation of the Town of China from parts of Harlem (the southern part of present-day China), Albion (then Fairfax) and Winslow.
(Park at the China Town Office)
Contributed photo
Catherine Durant, of China, who won first place in Grace Academy’s school-wide Poetry Out Loud competition, will be representing the school at the regional compettion on February 12 at the Hampden Academy Performing Arts Center, in Hampden. Poetry Out Loud, created in 2006, is a partnership among the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and the Maine Arts Commission to encourage our youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. She is the daughter of Scott and Lisa Durant, of China.
source: www.ccmaine.org
China’s China for a Lifetime Committee recently surveyed town residents to learn what they may need and services they want as they age in town. One surprising thing many residents mentioned was the lack of volunteering opportunities in town.
There is an organization based in Augusta that matches up volunteers with elders in the Kennebec Valley that allows for socialization for both. This program is called SEARCH (Seek Elderly Alone, Renew, Courage and Hope). Volunteers can do things that home care workers cannot; things like playing a game of cards, going out for lunch, or simply having a cup of coffee and good conversation around the kitchen table. Also, there are some seniors that need help with grocery shopping or running errands.
SEARCH is always looking for volunteers. There is a waiting list of elders who have signed up, but there are not enough volunteers to meet the need.
Volunteering for SEARCH is a great way to help your community. You’re helping someone who has a lifetime of experiences and knowledge to share and simply needs a little time with another human being.
Consider volunteering for SEARCH. For more information, contact Lynn Kidd at 207-530-0137 or send her an email at lkidd@ccmaine.org.