Vassalboro selectmen review almost-final warrant draft

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro selectmen spent most of their April 18 meeting reviewing the almost-final draft of the June 3 town meeting warrant, with a few other items briefly discussed.

Town meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 3, at Vassalboro Community School, where voters will act on Articles 1 through 63, which include 2019-2020 municipal and school budgets. The final three articles will be voted by secret ballot on Tuesday, June 11, at the town office, with polls open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Articles 64, 65 and 66 are a reaffirmation (or rejection) of the school budget approved the previous week, known as a budget validation referendum; a question asking voters if they want to continue the budget validation referendum for another three years; and election of municipal officers.

The three positions to be filled are one on the selectboard and two on the School board. Town Clerk Cathy Coyne said incumbent Selectman Robert Browne and incumbent school board members Jessica Clark and Kevin Levasseur are unopposed for re-election.

Five of Vassalboro’s 10 budget committee members will be elected at the June 3 open meeting. Committee members whose terms end this year are Donald Breton, William Browne, Philip Landry, Richard Phippen and Peggy Schaffer.

Selectmen are scheduled to sign a final warrant for town meeting at their May 2 meeting, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the town office.

In other business April 18, selectmen unanimously approved using $250 from the police budget to sponsor Police Chief Mark Brown’s son at the Criminal Justice Academy. Brown said Vassalboro has paid for sponsorships in the past, including one for him in 1984. He wanted selectmen’s specific approval because of the family connection.

Selectman John Melrose continued discussion of improvements at the East Vassalboro park between the boat landing and the former school. He also proposed reviving the Trails Committee, a subcommittee of the Conservation Commission whose activities included establishing the town forest trail in East Vassalboro.