by Mary Grow

Vassalboro select board members began review of the draft 2024-25 town budget, prepared by Town Manager Aaron Miller, at a Feb. 6 meeting that lasted almost three hours. They continued discussion for an hour before their regular Feb. 8 meeting.

Miller’s first draft totaled close to $3.9 million, and represented an increase of more than $256,000 over the current year. By Feb. 8, the estimated increase was more than $258,000.

This part of the budget covers municipal services and an estimated 10 percent increase in the 2024-25 bill from Kennebec County. The 2024-25 school budget is separate; Vassalboro school board members were scheduled to begin work on it at their Feb. 13 meeting.

Select board chairman Chris French emphasized that the budget presented to voters at the June 3 annual town meeting “will look very different” from the February draft. Select board members will continue to refine figures for proposed expenditures and compare them with expected revenues.

Select board chairman Chris French emphasized that the budget presented to voters at the June 3 annual town meeting “will look very different” from the February draft. Select board members will continue to refine figures for proposed expenditures and compare them with expected revenues; budget committee members will review the entire proposal; and the two boards will negotiate agreements, or agree to disagree in their recommendations.

Select board members began the Feb. 6 discussion by accepting Miller’s recommendation that town employees get 3.2 percent cost of living raises plus two percent merit raises for 2024-25.

Miller had recommended continuing the select board members’ stipends at the current level, $2,500 apiece. French argued for a cost of living increase, and, he said, the board chairman should get $500 more than the other two members because of the extra time he (or she) spends on town business.

French will not be board chairman in 2024-25, unless board policy is changed. If he runs for another three-year term and is re-elected, he will become the junior board member and Frederick “Rick” Denico, Jr., will become chairman.

The result of the discussion was, for now, a recommended increase of $680 in the budget line for select board.

Miller recommended, and board members supported, hiring a part-time staff person at the town office, primarily to cover the counter during especially busy times, lunch hours and when another staffer is out sick, running a town errand or on vacation. Details remain to be worked out; by the Feb. 8 meeting, the cost was estimated at $21,000.

The preliminary public works and paving budgets are about $167,000 higher than this year, generating considerable discussion of equipment needs – costs and timing – and paving plans.

How to plow the new sidewalks planned for North Vassalboro was one subtopic. Board members considered buying a piece of equipment, and discussed what they could buy that would be useful year-round; or contracting out the work.

Another subtopic was the bridge on Mill Hill Road, on which the state has threatened to post a speed limit. The issue first came up at the board’s Nov. 2, 2023, meeting, when board members learned the double culvert carrying Seven Mile Stream under the road had deteriorated significantly (see the Nov. 9, 2023, issue of The Town Line, p. 3).

Board member Denico said as of the previous night, posting had been delayed a year or so; but the town will have to fix the bridge eventually. He estimated the cost at up to $600,000 if the bridge were one lane wide and up to twice that for a two-lane bridge.

Proposed additions to the public works budget range from increasing employees’ boot allowance to hiring one more full-time employee, perhaps shared with the transfer station. Adding a person would reduce hours each driver works during blizzards and other emergencies.

The manager recommends starting a reserve fund to pay for a town-wide property revaluation. His suggested figure for 2024-25 is $40,000.

During the Feb. 8 select board meeting, French suggested a town meeting warrant article asking voters to approve $25,000 for town expenses when Vassalboro Community School is used as an emergency shelter.

Douglas Phillips, speaking for the Vassalboro Historical Society, discussed problems at the former East Vassalboro schoolhouse, owned by the town and leased by the society as its headquarters and museum. The wooden building and its roof need repairs; if another heat pump is installed, the boiler might be removed, making more storage space; the restroom should be made handicapped-accessible (a chairlift provides access to the building); and cracking tiles in one room contain asbestos, a hazardous substance.

Select board members added $15,000 to the 2024-25 budget for asbestos remediation.

The draft social services budget for 2024-25 currently contains two new requests: $4,000 to support the local Window Dressers program that provides window inserts to help insulate houses; and $3,500 for Kennebec Behavioral Health, an Augusta-based organization that has not previously asked for town support. The Vassalboro food pantry asks for a $2,000 increase that would be used for stipends for volunteers.

Vassalboro Community School (contributed photo)

by Mary Grow

Although discussion of the 2024-25 budget doesn’t start in earnest until February, Vassalboro school board members had several money items on their Jan. 22 agenda.

Board members approved wage increases for five categories of substitute employees, to keep them slightly ahead of the state minimum wage that went up to $14.15 an hour on Jan. 1. Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer said the increases were coordinated with the Waterville and Winslow school departments and keep Vassalboro competitive with most other area schools.

The current year’s budget will cover the higher pay, Pfeiffer said. Additional pay increases for more employees will be discussed as part of planning next year’s budget.

Board members also accepted Special Education Director Tanya Thibeau’s recommendation to hire a part-time IEP (Individualized Education Program) coordinator for the rest of the current school year, to help oversee these programs at Vassalboro Community School.

The current year’s budget will cover this position, Thibeau said, because one of VCS’s social workers is part-time – she could not find the full-time employee whose compensation was included in the 2023-24 budget.

Thibeau informed board members of proposed legislation that, if approved, would expand special education in public school to three- and four-year-old students. She said Maine is one of only two states without such a program.

Maine Commissioner of Education Pender Makin has promised generous state financial support if the program comes into effect, Thibeau said.

Pfeiffer distributed copies of the lease under which the day care program run by Jenifer Lizotte uses VCS space. He asked board members to consider whether it should be renewed for another year and if so, whether there should be changes, specifically a small increase in the $25 a day rent, due to inflation.

Pfeiffer strongly supports continuing the day care program at the school. He had high praise for Lizotte and her staff; said he has heard of no other local facilities that would take over if the VCS program were discontinued; and called the program “a big win for the community.”

VCS Principal Ira Michaud and Assistant Principal Tabitha Brewer seconded Pfieffer’s commendation. They said Lizotte runs a good program with well-trained staff, goes out of her way to accommodate families’ needs and consistently cooperates with school staff.

The current lease runs to the end of the school year, so immediate action is not expected.

Pfeiffer said when secondary-school tuition rates for calendar year 2024 came out in December 2023, they were about 5.5 percent higher than for 2023. The Vassalboro board had anticipated and budgeted for the increase, he said.

The superintendent reported on on-going work at VCS, like installing the ceiling fans authorized last year, and on use of the building as a warming center during the December power outage. Thanks to cooperation from residents and school staff, the warming center was a success, he said.

Town office staff are collecting names of residents who would like to be trained to work as volunteers at the center in future disasters. Pfeiffer said about 20 people had signed up so far.

Other business at the Jan. 22 meeting included approval of three new hires: Gifted and Talented teacher Rod Robilliard and Special Education Technicians Julie Chavez and Isaac Mercier. Board members accepted two resignations, from Speech and Language Pathologist Sharon Peabody and Special Education Technician Heather Bassett.

The next regular Vassalboro school board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13, at VCS.

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro select board members have made progress toward livestreaming and recording their meetings. The Jan. 11 meeting was at least partly covered. Michael Picher donated the camera. David Trask provided technical support. Brian Lajoie helped with installing television screens and running wire. The selectboard was responsible for the directive and helping in coordinating with Picher and Trask.

Board member used three-quarters of an hour at the meeting to consider possible amendments to the town’s marijuana ordinance.

Board chairman Chris French’s goal is an updated ordinance that will provide more information and more income from fees to cover town expenses. He’d like to have it ready for voters’ action at the June town meeting.

As French explained the situation, there are two kinds of legal marijuana-growing operations in Vassalboro. Eight are grandfathered commercial operations, predating the town’s June 2021 Marijuana Business Ordinance. The rest are facilities whose adult plants cover an area of less than 500 square feet.

The 2021 ordinance says: “Marijuana Businesses shall be prohibited in the Town of Vassalboro unless they were in lawful operation or had received site plan or building permit approval for the use prior to the Effective Date of this Ordinance.”

That sentence means Vassalboro voters decided to prohibit any new commercial marijuana growing facilities. Planning board member Douglas Phillips, from the audience, repeatedly reminded select board members not to dispute the voters’ will, and they denied any such intention.

The second type of marijuana business in Vassalboro is limited to less than 500 square feet of adult plants, or fewer than 30 adult plants. These facilities, French said, are allowed by state law; and owners are allowed to sell their products, up to a state-specified limit, to licensed medical marijuana caregivers.

In French’s interpretation, the town cannot deny what the state authorizes. However, he would like town officials to have more information, like where such facilities are located, and recommends requiring a town permit through the planning board.

The topic will be revisited at a future meeting.

Town adopts new policy on remote public participation

At their Jan. 11 meeting, Vassalboro select board members adopted a new town policy titled “Remote Participation in Public Proceedings Policy.”

Referencing the state Freedom of Access law, the policy applies to “public proceedings or meetings” of all town boards and committees. It defines conditions under which a member of a board or committee may be allowed to participate remotely.

Whenever “any member of the body participates via remote methods,” members of the public will have the same opportunity.

If public comment is allowed, it is to be open to remote attendees as well as those present in person.

In an “emergency or urgent situation” a board or committee may hold a meeting entirely by remote means. In such a situation, all votes will be by roll call, visible and audible. Public attendance may also be limited to remote participation.

The policy describes how to give public notice of meetings. It says documents and materials being discussed are to be made available to remote public attendees equally with those present in person, “provided no additional costs are incurred by the body.”

A copy of the policy will be available on the Vassalboro website.

A second major topic Jan. 11 was how to use remaining ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds. Town Manager Aaron Miller said the account has $84,705 left, some of it authorized for projects not yet completed.

Board members considered four proposals.

They returned to the idea of emergency generators to keep town facilities operating during power outages. Miller said the one person who responded to the request for cost estimates for the town office told him an order for several generators would reduce the price of each.

After discussion, board members asked Miller to get a price for generators for the town office, the Riverside fire station and the food pantry building. They plan to review the result at their first February meeting.

Miller recommended security cameras for town facilities. Board members waived the procurement policy and authorized Miller to spend $12,400 for security cameras.

A third proposed ARPA-funded project is replacing the elderly gasoline and diesel fuel pumps at the town garage. Miller said they are used for public works equipment, gasoline-powered school buses, the police vehicle and fire trucks.

The manager said he had one price quote and hoped to get at least two more. Select board members did not object.

Board members approved another $1,150 from the ARPA account to finish updating lights at the Vassalboro Historical Society building, the former East Vassalboro schoolhouse.

Looking at finances more broadly, Miller presented a summary financial report for the first half of the 2023-24 fiscal year. Neither he nor board members saw any problem areas.

Miller announced that Joshua Barnes is Vassalboro’s new animal control officer. Barnes holds the same position in China, he said.

During the Dec. 18 storm and following power outage, Miller said 86 people came to the new town warming center at Vassalboro Community School. He and Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer are satisfied; they would like to train more emergency volunteers. Interested residents are invited to contact the town office.

The next Vassalboro select board meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening, Jan. 25.