04-12-2008 12:07:14
All but two articles presented pass at town meeting
Voters at China’s April 7 town business meeting approved all but two of the 42 articles presented.
They refused, for the second time, to fund a sidewalk in China Village; and they tabled a proposal to require town-owned vehicles to use biodiesel, in effect leaving the decision to selectmen.
On three articles where the budget committee and selectmen offered different recommendations, voters sided with the budget committee twice. They added $3,000 to the selectmen’s recommendation for the South China library, subtracted $3,000 from The Town Line’s appropriation
and sent Vassalboro $600 to help clean the outlet dam fish screens.
Town Manager Daniel L’Heureux told voters if they approved every appropriations request as presented, the tax rate would not change because of the municipal budget. An attempt to allow simultaneous discussion of the 2007-08 school budget was rejected – moderator Richard Thompson ruled such an addition to the meeting’s business would require unanimous consent, and several people objected.
The day’s longest discussion, about 40 minutes, was over the sidewalk in China Village, proposed by Selectman Neil Farrington and supported by residents who live or walk in the village. They argued that many pedestrians, including a visually handicapped couple, children and
dog-walkers, have to share the road with drivers who routinely
ignore speed limits.
Opponents listed many other roads in town with the same problem, suggesting either alternative places for sidewalks or using the proposed $15,000 for radar speed control. They also questioned the total cost, since the $15,000 is only to start the project.
L’Heureux said there were two options: rebuild the 19th-century sidewalk on the west side of Main Street, or widen and stripe the paved shoulder on the east side. He said the sidewalk would be done only as part of the state’s rebuilding the street, which is a state aid road.
The appropriation was defeated on a voice vote.
Arguments about biodiesel covered two topics, whether the alternative fuel is a good idea and whether its use requires a decision by voters.
L’Heureux said other government units and businesses use it, including the Oakland-based school department, whose fleet manager finds no downside.
School bus driver and mechanic William Bickford urged caution, advising trying it experimentally before requiring it town-wide. Selectman Joann
Austin replied that delaying implementation until July 1, 2008, allows time to experiment and to withdraw the mandate if necessary.
Bickford said he is not against biodiesel. He works on Frontier Oil Co.’s biodiesel-powered vehicles and, he said, “The stuff smells great. It smells like French fries.”
However, he has heard that biodiesel shouldn’t sit in a tank too long or in cold weather, and sometimes school buses sit unused, the spare buses any time of year and all of them over the summer.
Rick Fischer got applause when he said using biodiesel should be an administrative decision, not a town meeting action. Richard Morse agreed, and Charles Plumer made a motion to table the issue, adding that selectmen can require biodiesel in trucks under their authority if they want to. The motion to table was approved by a show of hands.
Of the three articles on which selectmen and the budget committee majority differed, only The Town Line appropriation was debated. ’Heureux and Comprehensive Planning Committee Chairman Jamie Pitney, supporting the request for $5,000, said the local newspaper helps disseminate information at less cost than alternative methods, like direct mailings or advertising in the Waterville or Augusta papers. Those who
thought $2,000 enough said that China contributes more than its share to the non-profit paper.
Resident Anthony Pileggi asked whether it is constitutional for town funds to support a newspaper. The constitutional question has been a main reason for Vassalboro’s consistent refusal to approve funds. L’Heureux said Maine Municipal Association’s legal staff said funding is not necessarily unconstitutional; whether it is depends on what services the newspaper provides the town. Joann Austin, speaking for The Town Line rather than as a selectman, quoted a Colby professor’s opinion that there is no conflict with the constitution.
The vote to approve $18,919 for 14 social service agencies, reducing The Town Line’s appropriation to $2,000, was 53 in favor to 45 opposed.
The South China library’s $4,500 was approved on one of the more enthusiastic voice votes of the day, after Linwood “Skip” Baker reminded voters it is the oldest continuously operating library in Maine. L’Heureux said selectmen endorsed the library’s request for $1,500; the budget
committee, with additional information from member Christopher
McCarthy, unanimously recommended $4,500. McCarthy said the $4,500 will help fill the gap between the operating budget for the all-volunteer
library and expected income from donations, fundraisers and other sources.
Lack of information was the main reason the budget committee majority recommended not sending $600 to Vassalboro to help clean fish screens, committee member Plumer said. After the committee met and questioned
whether Vassalboro still cleaned and maintained the screens, Vassalboro Town Manager Michael Vashon told him the town spends about $3,600 a year on the screens.
Plumer seconded the motion to appropriate the $600. It was approved, in the second counted vote of the day, by 45 in favor to 36 opposed.
The final article, asking voters to let selectmen exceed the $302,049 limit on spending from property taxes that was set by the state, generated another half hour’s debate.
Former state Rep. Judd Thompson said defeating the article would let voters set a local property tax cap. He asked why the selectmen and budget committee recommended approval.
L’Heureux explained that until final figures on other revenue sources are available, no one can predict exactly how much local tax money will be needed to fund the expenditures voters just authorized. He expects to stay under the cap; but if other revenues fall short and voters do not
allow exceeding the limit, there would have to be a special town meeting, perhaps to authorize spending only a few dollars.
An amendment to limit the overage to no more than $20,000 was approved by voice vote, and the amended article was approved on the required written ballot, 53 in favor to 20 opposed.
Innovations in town as a result of the April 7 decisions include: • A lake access reserve fund, the $25,000 gift from FairPoint Communications plus $25,000 appropriated from undesignated fund balance (surplus) set aside to acquire access to China Lake.
• A non-point source mitigation reserve, to be funded by penalties for violating town ordinances and used by selectmen for lake water quality improvement work. L’Heureux estimated the annual average in penalty money at around $1,100.
• A telecommunications tower at the town office, intended for emergencies but potentially available for daily town, fire department and school communications and perhaps for leasing space to cellular telephone companies. The meeting began with two presentations that did not require
voter action.
Pitney summarized the comprehensive planning committee's progress on revising China’s 1991 plan. The committee hopes to have a document ready to explain to residents this summer and present to voters in
November, he said.
Leonard Dow supplemented and updated the report on FirstPark included in China’s annual town report and answered numerous questions. The good news is that China’s annual return on its investment in the park is
increasing steadily, from $742 in 2004 to a projected $13,400 this year. The bad news is that because land sales are slow, FirstPark officials plan to ask supporting towns for $165,000 in additional funding, of which China’s share will be about $10,000.