China voters asked to decide on $3.5 million warrant

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by Mary Grow

China voters will decide on almost $3.5 million in proposed expenditures at their March 25 town business meeting, scheduled for 9 a.m. at China Middle School on Lakeview Drive.

Of the total, about $1.59 million is to come from real estate and personal property taxes; about $853,000 is requested from the Development Program Fund or TIF fund; more than $262,000 will come from the town’s Unrestricted Fund Balance (UFB), commonly called surplus; and more than $740,000 for the highway budget will come from a state grant and excise taxes.

Town Manager Daniel L’Heureux told selectmen and budget committee members that voters will not increase their tax rate if they approve proposed spending. However, the municipal budget is only part of the total budget; taxes also contribute to the school budget, which voters will act on in June, and the Kennebec County budget.

Not all of the money requested March 25 will necessarily be spent. For example, selectmen are asking permission to spend up to $55,000 from surplus to match grants if the town receives any (Art. 36) and another $55,000 for unexpected expenses and emergencies (Art. 38).

Most of the proposed expenditure requests appear every year – town administration, solid waste disposal, road maintenance, fire, police and rescue services, insurance. As usual, costs for insurance have increased. This year, the transfer station budget is also higher because Palermo residents are using it, but L’Heureux expects Palermo’s annual contribution and per-bag fee will offset the higher costs.

The one new expenditure request is in Art. 20, which asks voters to appropriate up to $40,000 from surplus to compensate emergency services personnel. Conceived by Selectman Neil Farrington as a possible way to gain new members for China Rescue and the town’s three volunteer fire departments, the proposal is supported unanimously by the budget committee.

The March 25 warrant includes six separate requests to spend TIF money, in articles 6 through 11. The money comes from taxes paid by Central Maine Power Company (CMP) on its expanded power line through town. L’Heureux said the revenue is about $260,000 annually, and the TIF fund now stands at about $337,000.

Art. 5 asks voters to amend the current TIF agreement to extend it from 20 to 30 years and add a second revenue source, the new CMP substation off Route 3. L’Heureux expects the substation will add about $60,000 a year to the TIF fund. If voters approve Art. 5, they will also increase the areas of town available for economic development with TIF money. L’Heureux said TIF-eligible areas will include the recently-acquired subdivision off Lakeview Drive opposite the former Candlewood Camps; two previously designated Pine Tree zones, the FairPoint property on Route 3 and the former Gazelle property at the intersection of Routes 202, 9 and 137; and land at the base of Branch Pond.

Expenditures proposed to town meeting voters are as follows:

Art. 6: $8,000 toward the town administration budget for TIF-related work, $38,169 for China’s FirstPark fee, $15,000 for the China Region Lakes Alliance, $2,500 for China Community Days, $500 for Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce dues and $5,000 toward compensation for a bicentennial events coordinator.

Art. 7: Up to $50,000 for engineering and planning work associated with economic development projects selectmen might plan and propose to voters.

Art. 8: Up to $750,000 for three fiscal years (July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2020) for the causeway project at the head of China Lake’s east basin.

Art. 9: Up to $25,000 to establish a revolving loan fund to assist town businesses, managed by the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments.

Art. 10: Up to $20,000 for ARI, the Alewife Restoration Initiative aimed at bringing alewives back to China Lake.

Art. 11: Up to $40,000 for trail and entrance improvements at Thurston Park, the town-owned preserve in northeastern China. China’s TIF committee and budget committee recommend voters approve all the TIF articles

China school to hold eighth forest day

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by Anita Smith

On May 29, the entire student body, staff members of China Primary and Middle schools took to the woods for Forest Day 2015. They were joined by many parents and community members for a fun-filled day of activities and lessons by over 30 volunteer presenters. Volunteers represented many different groups including the Maine Forest Service, Project Learning Tree, The Society of American Foresters, Maine Master Naturalists and other friends of the school forest.

The day began around 6:30 a.m., as presenters began arriving at school for the big day. After the various presenters were shown to their activity locations, the students, staff and parent helpers ventured outside to begin the day. Each group of students participated in 5-7 different activities throughout the day. Most activity sessions lasted about 30 minutes, allowing students and staff to participate in a wide variety of lessons. Students returned to the schools for lunch and recess and then headed back into the forest for additional activities before their final dismissal at the end of the day.

Activities at the primary level included learning about the functions of various tree parts by making “edible trees” and identifying wild flowers including lady slippers near the primary school pavilion. Students listened to a story about fairy houses and then tried their hand at building their own fairy houses using small branches, rocks, pinecones and other natural items from the forest. Other activity sessions focused on recycling and worm farming, eating healthy snacks and living an active lifestyle, and discovering plants and animals in the forest near the school. Smokey Bear made an appearance to teach the students about preventing forest fires and caring for our forest lands.

For students in grades 3-6, several groups learned about tick safety and how to protect oneself from tick-borne illness. Another session taught about adaptations as students used various household items to simulate bird beaks while trying to catch different types of “food” items. They learned it’s not easy being a bird!

Students got down on the ground to create “mini-kingdom” sketches of the forest floor and learned to identify some of the plants found in the forest. Students were able to observe some safe tree cutting techniques and climb onto a skidder. Catching pond life with dip nets was a popular station. The kids found dragonfly nymphs, leeches, salamanders and water beetles. Painted turtles watched from a distance while sunning themselves on a floating log and frogs also kept a safe distance from the nets. Other sessions focused on basic camping survival skills, learning about the life of a tree by counting its tree rings and doing comparative field studies of several habitats within the school forest.

Activities for the older students included studying soil samples, searching for soil contamination from the “Acme Lemonade Factory” and practicing their map and compass skills. Several active games had students role play birds searching for “worms” in a camouflage game and others role playing the challenges faced by Atlantic Salmon as they migrate upstream. Students were able to learn about the new alewive initiative for China Lake as well as hear stories about the old logging days as part of Maine’s history. Other sessions included role playing forest management strategies, measuring tree heights and diameters, learning how to do a forest inventory and discuss the benefits and challenges of various types of forest management.

China Schools can be proud of their school forest. It is a model for school forests around our state. In the past, visitors have participated in the forest day activities and have then implemented their own forest days using China school as a model in Litchfield, Belfast, Portland, Gorham and others. Visitors this year from western Maine and Wayne want to start their own forest field days.

In all, over 450 students, plus staff and community members participated in the day. Over 35 people volunteered their time to bring hands-on learning to the students. It was a glorious, sunny day with a mild breeze to keep the bugs away. Based on feedback from the kids, they had a few requests. More of them wanted to build fairy houses and participate in the pond studies. They loved the active games and activities. They wanted more time outside. Many of them commented that they didn’t want to go inside at the end of the day. Staff even commented on how much they learned about our forest. One of the most frequent comments from students was that they wished we held Forest Day every year. Based on the abundant smiles, it was a very good day to take to the woods!

To learn more about summer day camps, family and community walks, maintenance work days and other school forest events, visit our facebook page: China School’s Forest-China, Maine or contact Anita Smith at chinaschoolsforest@gmail.com.

CHINA NEWS: TIF discussion on head of lake proposal draws nearly three dozen residents

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by Mary Grow

The China Tax Increment Finance (TIF) Committee’s public hearing on the largest proposed TIF expenditure on the March 25 town meeting warrant drew close to 20 interested residents Feb. 27.

The issue is the committee’s recommendation that voters appropriate up to $750,000 over the next three fiscal years for improvements to the causeway at the head of China Lake’s east basin. Improvements would be intended to improve environmental conditions, further pedestrian and vehicular traffic safety, improve recreation and promote economic development.

Discussion focused on priorities, in two different ways.

Many audience members wanted to know specifically what the committee intended to do and in what order, so they would know exactly what they were voting on March 25. The project includes improving parking for people using the boat landing, improving the landing itself, rebuilding the 1930 bridge across the inlet to the lake and adding a pedestrian walkway and fishing platforms. The walkway and platforms depend on remaking the shore of the lake by installing some kind of vertical facing instead of the present slope dotted with boulders.

Committee members have already spent some money on engineering to get preliminary ideas and cost estimates. Answering many of the questions raised will require more engineering work; committee Chairman Amber McAllister said the group did not want to be faulted for spending too much money on preliminary work before voters decided whether to approve the project.

If voters approve the money, priority questions still loom. Boat landing parking is likely to happen first, because Town Manager Daniel L’Heureux said the town has almost completed buying the additional land voters approved last November. However, whether the bridge, the pedestrian ways or the fishing areas should come next, or whether all need to be done more or less simultaneously, remains to be decided.

McAllister said if voters approve funding on March 25, the committee will begin setting priorities, with input from residents. When Justin Gaudet interpreted her words as promising more public hearings, McAllister accepted his interpretation.

No one who spoke at the hearing opposed the idea of expanded recreational facilities at the boat landing and causeway.

Gaudet urged committee members to consider possible long-term impacts of the project, like what increased boat traffic could do to water quality and shoreline erosion.

China Lake belongs to the state, not the town, committee member and Selectman Irene Belanger said, so town residents cannot control what happens on it. She added that a major bass tournament, larger than any held so far, is scheduled for this summer.

The TIF Committee is charged with recommending to selectmen economic development projects that can be funded with tax money from the expanded Central Maine Power Company power line that runs through the town. A separate article in the March 25 town meeting warrant asks voters to add the new CMP substation off Route 3 as another TIF revenue source. Voters will also act on other proposed expenditures of TIF funds.

The next TIF Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday evening, March 13. Interested residents are welcome at all committee meetings.

CHINA NEWS: Committee endorses selectmen’s spending plan

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by Mary Grow

China Budget Committee members have endorsed the selectmen’s spending recommendations for the March 25 town business meeting, in all but one case by unanimous votes.

The largest proposed expenditures in the warrant budget committee members reviewed at their Feb. 16 meeting were, as usual, for road maintenance, town administration, insurance and the transfer station. Budget committee members supported all of them after a few questions. The transfer station budget has increased over the current year because Palermo residents now bring their trash to China, but Town Manager Daniel L’Heureux said Palermo’s annual contribution plus the per-bag fee charged to Palermo residents will cover the increase. Two new items to be presented to voters required budget committee action, a request for up to $40,000 for stipends to volunteer emergency services personnel (Art. 20) and a request to authorize selectmen to repurchase China’s interest in the Penobscot Energy Recovery Company (PERC) (Art. 56).

The proposed stipends, suggested initially by Neil Farrington, chairman of the selectboard, are intended to encourage more people to join China’s three volunteer fire departments and China Rescue. If voters approve, any money used would be taken from China’s Unrestricted Fund Balance (UFB, familiarly called surplus) and disbursed according to policies to be developed by selectmen and emergency services volunteers.

China’s current contract with PERC ends in 2018 and will not be renewed. In March 2016, voters authorized selectmen to switch to the new Fiberight facility being developed in Hampden. L’Heureux told budget committee members the town should get about $17,000 back from PERC.

The article on which one budget committee member abstained – the rest supported it – was L’Heureux’s request to move $150,000 from surplus to the capital and equipment reserve (Art. 14). The manager argues that should an expensive piece of town equipment break down beyond repair, selectmen could use the reserve to replace it without calling a special town meeting and without borrowing money.

In November 2016 voters rejected L’Heureux’s request to move $100,000 from the UFB into the capital reserve account by a vote of 911 in favor to 1,354 opposed.
Budget committee member Tom Rumpf declined to support the recommendation for the March 25 meeting because he thinks the amount is too high.
Budget committee members – and the manager – want China to maintain a healthy surplus, because it improves the town’s financial standing and is a benefit in case the town should need to borrow money. L’Heureux’s point is that money in a designated fund, like the capital and equipment reserve, still counts toward overall financial health.

China’s town business meeting begins at 9 a.m. – or as soon thereafter as a quorum of 126 registered voters assembles – Saturday, March 25, at China Middle School.

L’Heureux said if voters approve all municipal expenditures as recommended, they will not increase the property tax rate. However, property taxes also support the school budget, which will be voted on in June, and the Kennebec County budget, over which town voters have no direct control.

Amendment to TIF program ready for China voters

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by Mary Grow

After a couple hours’ discussion with town assessor William Van Tuinen on Feb. 16 and another hour debating among themselves on Feb. 20, China selectmen have an amendment to the town’s TIF (Tax Increment Finance) program ready for voters at the March 25 town meeting.

The original document, “Central Maine Power/China Lake Tax Increment Financing District and Development Program,” was approved at the March 2015 town meeting. It established a TIF District that includes the new Central Maine Power Company (CMP) power line as the revenue source and areas at both ends of China Lake’s east basin and around the town office as potential development areas.

Taxes from the power line go into a separate Development Program Fund. The money can be used to fund economic development projects, as defined in the TIF document, in the development areas. The 2015 TIF was for 20 years.

The proposed amendment makes three changes. It extends the TIF to 30 years, ending at the end of fiscal year 2044. It adds the new CMP substation off Route 3 as a source of income. And it expands the priority development areas by adding the old Pine Tree Zones and two properties voters approved buying in November 2016, the subdivision on Lakeview Drive opposite the former Candlewood Camps and a lot adjoining the town office lot.

The amendment appears as Art. 5 in a 56-article town meeting warrant that includes the 2017-18 municipal budget and numerous ordinance amendments. Voters will act on the items at the town business meeting scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, March 25, at China Middle School.

At the Feb. 20 meeting, selectmen also talked briefly about a town vote on recreational marijuana. An attempt to have a moratorium on retail marijuana businesses in town failed when not enough voters came to a January special town meeting to make a quorum.

Selectmen are divided over whether additional local action is needed. Joann Austin saw new business opportunities if the town were to allow marijuana establishments; Jeffrey LaVerdiere retorted that big out-of-state business would dominate and profits would leave town.

In any case, Board Chairman Neil Farrington said, there is no need for immediate action. The issue might be raised again before the June 2016 ballot is prepared.

The next regular China selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Monday evening, March 6.

CHINA NEWS: Organizers seek presenters for China Forest Day

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The organizers at China Midle School are in the planning stages for Forest Day 2017 which will be held on Friday, May 26, from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the China School Forest in China. They are seeking volunteer presenters to work with groups of students at any grade level from preK-eighth grade. The goal is to have all students outside for the whole day participating in hands-on activities to learn about Maine’s natural environment.

Volunteer presenters will teach a lesson to groups of students (15-18 students per group) throughout the day. Staff members will supervise student groups. Volunteers will lead three – four morning sessions and three – four afternoon sessions. Each session will last approximately 30 minutes. If you need more than a 30-minute session, they can put two time slots together to give you about 70 minutes to work with your group. You can choose your activity and age group or the staff can suggest activity ideas based on your skills and interests. They try to have a wide variety of activities related to the Maine environment. In the past, they’ve offered sessions on forest habitats, ecology, plants and/or animals, logging history, watersheds, geology, nature music or art, reading, writing, drama and much more. Any topic related to the natural environment will be considered. They provide morning munchies and lunch for all volunteer presenters. Forest Day is held rain or shine. After all, that is part of the outdoor experience!

They are seeking 30-35 different session presenters. They are asking for your help as a volunteer program presenter or to pass this along to others who you think might be able to help. If you can help, they need the following information:

Your name and work agency/program sponsor (if representing one), phone number and/or email; topic or lesson – if you need ideas, they can offer suggestions. Grade level range preference (prek-2, 3-6, 7-8).

Anything else you need for your activity (ie. Type of location, materials needed, time you are available if you can’t be there all day…)

For more information contact Anita Smith (968-2255) and Elaine Philbrook (445-1550); chinaschoolsforest@gmail.com or ephilbrook@rsu18.org.

Learn more about them at: https://www.facebook.com/chinaschoolsforest/.

 

CHINA NEWS: 10 items on land development code set for annual meeting vote

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by Mary Grow

China voters will have 10 separate articles asking them to approve amendments to China’s Land Development Code at the March 25 town meeting, all of them repeated from Nov. 8, 2016.

The Nov. 8 written ballot had all the changes in a single article. Voters rejected the article by a vote of 817 in favor to 1,248 opposed.

At their Feb. 8 meeting (postponed from the usual Tuesday evening because of bad weather), the three planning board members present voted unanimously to ask selectmen to put the changes to voters again as 10 separate articles on the March 25 warrant.

They believe voters rejected the changes in November for two main reasons: some people objected to one or more of the proposed amendments and could defeat them only by rejecting the entire document, and other people did not understand some or all of the recommended changes.

Board members hope separating the document into 10 sections will help with the first issue. To deal with the second, they intend to have an explanatory handout at the town meeting, and board members and Codes Officer Paul Mitnik will be there to answer questions.

Mitnik pointed out that some of the changes in specified sections will require changes in other areas to keep the entire ordinance internally consistent. For example, substituting the footprint of a building (how many square feet of ground it occupies) for the volume (in cubic feet) in certain measurements, if approved, might require a parallel change elsewhere in the ordinance. Board members asked Mitnik to add such related changes to the documents presented to voters.

The next regular China Planning Board meeting was scheduled for Tuesday evening, Feb. 14. Mitnik expected a presentation from the South China Library Association on plans to relocate the library from Village Street to Jones Road.

CHINA NEWS: Manager leads committee in review of budget

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by Mary Grow

China Town Manager Daniel L’Heureux led five of the seven budget committee members through a preliminary review of 2017-18 town finances at a Feb. 10 meeting. The manager had mostly good news, though he qualified it. As of June 30, 2016 (the last audit date), the town had about $1.318 million in surplus (formally called Undesignated Fund Balance, or UFB), and he expects the figure to be higher when the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, is audited. Surplus increases when revenues are higher than expected, expenditures are lower or both.

The proposed 2017-18 municipal budget is slightly higher than the current year’s, but L’Heureux expects increases in revenues and property values to offset increased spending, so the tax rate will not rise as a result of municipal expenditures.

However, he said, town finances include factors outside town officials’ control, notably how much money the state provides in revenue-sharing, highway and school grants and other funding; the 2017-18 school budget; and the Kennebec County tax.

Proposed local increases include a 1.6 percent salary increase for town employees; higher dispatching fees for emergency services; rising health insurance premiums; and more expenses at the transfer station because Palermo residents now share it. Palermo’s annual payment plus the per-bag fee charged to Palermo residents will offset the last item, L’Heureux said.

The draft budget contains one new item, a request for up to $40,000 from surplus to compensate China firefighters and China Rescue personnel.
Selectman Neil Farrington told budget committee members he introduced the idea to try to get more volunteers for the services and to start a conversation about how to attract them.

If town meeting voters approve the money, the plan would start July 1. Before then, Farrington said, selectmen would consult with the chiefs of the four organizations – three fire departments and rescue – about how funds should be distributed.

L’Heureux learned from officials in Albion, Whitefield, Vassalboro and Windsor that all of those towns compensate their emergency personnel, each in its own way. Budget committee members had questions about many items, but voiced no major concerns or objections. Remembering discussion at the 2016 business meeting, they endorsed but urged clarifying the way TIF (Tax Increment Finance) expenditures are listed in the meeting warrant.

The 2017 warrant, like last year’s, has a list of proposed expenditures from the Development Program Fund (into which TIF tax revenue goes), in Art. 6. For example, voters are asked to allocate $8,000 to town administration to cover TIF-related work. Under Art. 12, funding town administration, the total of $384,261 specifically includes $8,000 from TIF-generated revenues. Budget Committee members think the double reference should be informative to voters. Last year, they said, it appeared to be confusing.

In addition to the amounts in Art. 6, five following articles ask voters to appropriate money from the Development Program Fund for projects recommended by the TIF Committee.

Budget committee members plan to meet again at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, to go through the proposed warrant for the March 25 town business meeting.

At the town meeting, scheduled for 9 a.m. at China Middle School, voters will approve, modify or reject municipal spending proposals and other town-related items. The school budget will be presented later in the spring.

CHINA NEWS: Selectmen review and approve most of warrant

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by Mary Grow

China selectmen spent most of a long Feb. 6 meeting reviewing and approving a good part of the warrant for the March 25 town business meeting, to have it ready for budget committee action. The budget committee is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, in the town office.
Selectmen also:

  • Voted unanimously to support Rep. Tim Theriault’s LD 55, a proposed law which, if enacted, would charge Kennebec Water District water users a China Lake clean-up fee.
  • Appointed Thomas Michaud as the new at-large member of the planning board, succeeding Frank Soares.
  • Asked Town Manager Daniel L’Heureux to notify Marie Michaud that, acting on Maine Municipal Association advice, they have determined the petition she submitted last summer is invalid; they will neither act on it themselves nor send it to voters in March. The petition asked for a moratorium on commercial development until land use districts are established.

The town meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, March 25, at China Middle School. The warrant contains the usual municipal spending requests, including numerous requested appropriations from the TIF (Tax Increment Finance) fund, known formally as the Development Program Fund, and related items, like setting tax due dates; a repeat of several requests voters rejected Nov. 8, 2016; and two new items.

The first new item is a request for up to $40,000 to compensate emergency services personnel (firefighters and medical first responders), under a policy to be developed by selectmen. Town Manager Daniel L’Heureux presented information from Albion, Vassalboro and Windsor, which all compensate their volunteers in different ways.

After a long discussion, a majority of the board voted to include the article and recommend its passage, with Ronald Breton abstaining and Joann Austin opposed. Breton said he supports the concept, but wants a policy in place before funding it; Austin objected to having no time to digest the information from other towns.

The other new proposal, from L’Heureux, is to establish a designated unemployment account in the town’s reserve fund and put $10,000 in it to fund unemployment claims. The manager explained that having the fund would eliminate the need to appropriate money for unemployment insurance annually and put it back into reserve when it is not needed.

Items repeated from the Nov. 8 local ballot include the manager’s request for more money for the capital equipment reserve fund, two amended solid waste ordinances and the planning board’s proposed amendments to the Land Use Ordinance. Planning board members were scheduled to decide at their Feb. 7 meeting whether to present their amendments as a single document or to divide them into separate articles.

The next regular China selectmen’s meeting would have been on the Presidents’ Day holiday; it is rescheduled to 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 23.

China News: Special town meeting no go

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by Mary Grow

The Jan. 28 special town meeting to let China residents act on an ordinance to create a moratorium on retail marijuana businesses in town could not be held for lack of a quorum.

China town meetings require 126 registered voters. With fewer than 100 assembled at 9:25 a.m., almost half an hour after the scheduled starting time, selectmen called off the meeting.

They will decide whether and if so when to present the idea to voters again.