VASSALBORO: State Police to continue reduced rural patrols

by Mary Grow

Before they met with the town budget committee, Vassalboro selectmen discussed other non-monetary and monetary items at their March 5 meeting.

Following up on their Feb. 20 meeting with Kennebec County Sheriff Ken Mason (see The Town Line, Feb. 27), selectmen talked with Lt. Jason Madore of the State Police about local law enforcement.

Madore made it clear that although State Police activity in rural areas will be reduced, state police will continue to provide patrols and protection and to respond to calls.

As Mason explained in February, county sheriffs’ departments will be spending more time in towns without full-time police departments, because State Police are responsible for the interstate highways and provide a variety of specialized units and services that are of value to county law enforcement.

Madore emphasized that these duties do not exclude assistance to towns like Vassalboro. The State Police has no intention “of removing itself from rural patrol or removing itself from handling calls for service. Troopers will remain embedded within their communities,” he said.

Selectmen heard from the Vassalboro Sanitary District (VSD) and the Alewife Restoration Project (ARI), two entities that have been using funds from Vassalboro’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) fund and want more money in 2020-21.

Sanitary District engineer Richard Greene, of Hoyle, Tanner and Associates, said about two-thirds of Vassalboro’s sewage now goes to Winslow and then to the Waterville treatment system via new pipelines and pumping stations. Work has shut down for the winter and is expected to resume in April, he said.

A discussion of finances covered debts for work done, expected costs of remaining work and anticipated income from present customers and from those eligible, but not necessarily required, to hook onto the expanded system. VSD spokesman Ray Breton asked for “as much as we can get” in TIF money to hold down user fees and help new customers connect.

Selectmen held a Feb. 11 public hearing on ARI’s request for TIF money (see The Town Line, Feb. 20) and plan to schedule a hearing on the VSD request.

Selectman John Melrose again reported on the proposed replacement culvert on Gray Road. He asked approval to hire Calderwood Engineering, of Richmond, to help develop an affordable plan acceptable to the state departments of environmental protection and transportation. Chairman Lauchlin Titus and Selectman Robert Browne agreed.

After hearing from Matt Weaver of First National Wealth Management, the company that handles Vassalboro’s investments, selectmen unanimously renewed the town investment policy.

The next regular Vassalboro selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening, March 19, at 6 p.m., half an hour earlier than usual so the budget committee can meet at 7 p.m. Both meetings will be in the town office meeting room.