Vassalboro select board discusses money and looming problem with MDOT

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.