by Mary Grow

Vassalboro’s annual town meeting did not end after voters acted on 38 articles Monday evening, June 5. They have two written ballots on Tuesday, June 13, with polls open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the town office.

One ballot is for local elections, for one member of the select board and two members of the school board.

For select board, there are only blank lines. Michael C. Poulin, of Vassalboro, is a declared write-in candidate. Incumbent Barbara Redmond is retiring.

For school board, incumbents Erin L. Loiko (“Libby”) and Zachary Smith seek re-election. There are two blank lines if a voter wants to write in someone else instead of one or both of those listed.

Instructions for write-ins are printed on the ballot.

The other ballot contains warrant Articles 39 and 40.

Art. 39 asks if voters want to approve the 2023-24 school budget that was adopted June 5. This school budget validation referendum has been standard in many Maine municipalities for years.

Art. 40 asks if voters want to amend Vassalboro’s Site Review Ordinance. If a majority approve, they will add to the ordinance a new Chapter XI titled “Performance Standards for Commercial Solar Energy Systems.”

The ordinance with proposed amendments is on the Town of Vassalboro website, under “What’s New in Vassalboro,” after several other items; it immediately follows the announcement of new Facebook and Instagram pages.

In the draft, the new section covers pages 18 through the top of 22. It sets out standards for building, operating, maintaining and decommissioning commercial solar farms.

Approval of the amended ordinance includes numerous lesser changes outside Chapter XI. Some complement the provisions dealing with solar farms – for example, chapters after XI are renumbered, and new definitions of “commercial solar energy system” and “solar energy system” are proposed.

Other changes clarify procedures or correct past omissions. For example, voter approval would add a requirement that a site plan application include the names of abutting property-owners. It would add definitions of multiple terms not specific to Chapter XI, like “buffer,” “property line,” “residential structure” and “setback.”

by Mary Grow

Voters at Vassalboro’s annual town meeting devoted most time to two sections of Article 6, the article asking for more than $2.7 million for 14 town departments. The two sections were the public safety department, for which the select board recommended $102,108 and the budget committee recommended $94,189; and the recreation program, for which both boards recommended $65,898.

At issue in the public safety request was whether Police Chief Mark Brown should have increased hours, from 15 to 20 per week, and a commensurate pay increase. The majority of select board members said yes, the majority of budget committee members said no.

The main arguments in favor were that crime is increasing state-wide while law enforcement personnel are getting harder to find, and Brown does a variety of jobs, like providing back-up for the codes enforcement officer if needed and, Town Manager Aaron Miller said, responding when residents find drug paraphernalia strewn on their lawns.

The main arguments against were that with both state police and sheriff’s deputies available, Vassalboro doesn’t need more local law enforcement; and some of what Brown does, like delivering documents for the town office (including posting copies of the town meeting warrant), could be done by others.

Budget committee member Donald Breton said select board members plan to update the police chief’s job description. Give us a year, he asked, to determine what the job should include and how much time it requires.

After a vote on the select board’s recommendation by a show of voting cards was too close for moderator Richard Thompson to call, he held a counted vote and ruled the recommendation was defeated.

Voters then approved the lower figure.

A voter’s motion to decrease the recreation budget by more than $14,000 was defeated by a lop-sided show of cards. Residents and officials said the expanded recreation program directed by China resident Karen Hatch is providing a variety of new programs for people of all ages.

Budget committee member Michael Poulin commended the “synergy” between the recreation department and the Vassalboro Public Library. Later in the meeting, school superintendent Alan Pfeiffer praised cooperation with Vassalboro Community School.

A third proposed expenditure that generated discussion was the request for funds for the China Region Lakes Alliance (CRLA), one item in Art. 26, which included $28,929 in requests from eight health and welfare agencies. For CRLA, the select board recommended $13,500; the budget committee recommended $7,500.

Holly Weidner, speaking for the Vassalboro Conservation Commission, said the money would be used to expand water quality protection programs for Webber Pond and Three Mile Pond. Vassalboro has participated in the Courtesy Boat Inspection program, intended to keep invasive plants out of Maine waters; other programs could offer advice and help in minimizing run-off and maintaining camp roads.

Weidner described CRLA as hired by the Conservation Commission to help that body “be proactive about preventing problems in our ponds.”

Voters approved the $13,500.

During a brief discussion before voters approved $66,285 for Delta Ambulance Service, Executive Director Timothy A. Beals explained that labor shortages, increasing costs and inadequate insurance reimbursements had compelled Delta to imitate other Maine ambulance services and begin charging a fee.

Of the 14 towns billed, only one, so far, had declined to pay, he said. Its contribution was small enough so the $15 per resident fee charged each town that does join remains unchanged.

Other articles were passed without discussion, individually, or, on motions by David Trask, in two large groups. One group, Articles 8 through 21, included smaller appropriations and a variety of authorizations for select board actions.

The other group, Articles 26 through 38, encompassed the entire $9 million 2023-24 school budget. Superintendent Pfeiffer spoke briefly; no one asked a question.

Budget committee members Donald Breton, William Browne, Phillip Landry, Peggy Schaffer and Dallas Smedberg were re-elected without challenge.

Close to 100 voters attended the meeting in the Vassalboro Community School gymnasium; it lasted slightly under two hours.

The town meeting continues with written-ballot voting on Tuesday, June 13, with polls open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the town office. Voters will be asked to:

• Approve or reject the school budget approved June 5;
• Approve or reject addition of a chapter dealing with commercial solar developments to the town land use ordinance; and
• Elect one select board member and two school board members for three-year terms.

Don and Lisa Breton presented with Spirit of America Award

At Vassalboro’s June 5 town meeting, retiring select board chairman Barbara Redmond presented this year’s Spirit of America award for volunteerism to Donald and Lisa Breton. She commended the Bretons for their fund-raising efforts for a variety of worthwhile projects in town, from the food pantry to the annual school supplies drive.

by Mary Grow

Issues discussed at the May 25 Vassalboro select board meeting included money and a looming problem between the town and the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT).

Town Manager Aaron Miller reviewed the current year’s budget as the June 30 end of the fiscal year approaches. He pointed out a potential overdraft in the administration budget, with enough left over in public works to offset it if board members so decide.

In summary, he said, “I think we’re in good shape.”

Town assessor Ellery Bane sent select board members notice that because of rising real estate prices, Vassalboro’s property assessments have fallen well below market value and the state assessment. By state law, state and local assessments cannot deviate too far without the town being penalized.

Bane proposed a 20 percent town-wide valuation increase. Select board members agreed in principle, but wanted to talk with school Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer to make sure there would be no unexpected effect on school funding if they supported 20 percent.

Taxes will not increase 20 percent, Miller said. The higher valuation will mean a lower tax rate will bring the same amount of money into town coffers, so most property-owners’ bills should be about what they would have been without the adjustment.

On a related topic, Miller said Vassalboro has not had a complete revaluation for 16 years; he recommended select board members consider setting aside funds to pay for one. The quarterly reviews Bane and his staff do, inspecting a quarter of the town’s properties each year, are to note changes, not to assess values.

The MDOT issues are related to the planned Route 32 (Main Street) work in North Vassalboro. Earlier in May, Miller emailed the department about the new covers on the Vassalboro Sanitary District (VSD) manholes in sections to be repaved and the town’s desire to keep granite curbing along Main Street.

A reply from MDOT engineer Robert K. Betz said that while MDOT is “obliged to accommodate utilities,” like the VSD, it cannot legally “be financially responsible for utility presence in highway easements.”

Therefore, if the manhole covers need to be changed to accommodate MDOT’s repaving, VSD will be responsible. Betz wrote that “it is likely that adjustments will be needed,” but he was not sure because the design of the work is not complete.

VSD head Raymond Breton was appalled. He said last year’s work to replace the manhole covers cost $400,000 and the District does not have the money to do it again.

Betz had not had time to consider the town’s request to keep granite curbing.

Miller said he intends to arrange a meeting among affected local parties and MDOT officials.

Select board member Chris French had three more assignments for Miller:

• Look into the legality of digital signatures for at least one select board member, in case no one is available when a signature is needed in a hurry;
• Find a contractor to work on the North Vassalboro fire station roof (Miller said nine contractors had refused the job so far); and
• Look into heat pumps for the town office (Miller said he intends to apply for a Community Resilience grant for that purpose).

The May 25 meeting was preceded by two public hearings that attracted one comment.

The first hearing was on proposed fees for local marijuana licenses. When board chairman Barbara Redmond asked for comments, there were none from the half-dozen people in the audience.

Redmond then opened the second hearing, on approved new application fees for site review permits, recommended by the planning board: $100 for a minor site review and $400 for a major site review.

“Good job,” said fellow select board member Frederick “Rick” Denico, Jr., who missed the previous meeting when the fees were approved (see the May 25 issue of The Town Line, pp. 2-3). There were no further comments.

The next regular Vassalboro select board meeting will be Thursday evening, June 8.

Before that is the open part of the annual town meeting, beginning at 6:30 p.m., Monday, June 5, at Vassalboro Community School. Local elections and other written-ballot voting will be held Tuesday, June 13, with polls open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the town office.

Absentee ballots for June 13 are available at the town office. The annual town report for FY 2022 is also available.