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Jay recreational area funding approved: ‘We need something to pick us up’

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This year, the Jay Recreation Committee has been restoring the pristine trail
The restored French Falls River Walk trail in Jay provides beautiful views of the Androscoggin River. Funding approved on Monday will in part go for trail signage and brochure maps.  (Michael Simoneau photo)

JAY – The Select Board approved a funding request for the town’s recreational area improvements at their meeting on Monday.

Since last summer, the Recreation Committee has been tasked by the Select Board with creating a long-term trail and open space improvement plan for the town’s recreational areas. In addition members have volunteered countless hours to improve trails at French Falls and have organized a successful winter festival.

On Monday the committee requested $10,905 be appropriated for 2016 from the recreation fund account for various improvements and equipment needs. The selectboard voted 4-1 to approve $9,405, a total arrived at after deciding to fund only two of the five picnic tables requested.

The recreation fund account holds a total of $172,470 as of June 30, with money raised through timber harvest revenue at the Jay Recreation Area and cell tower lease revenue coming in at $1,012.53 a month.

Selectperson Judy Diaz suggested to cut the funding to $1,000 for two tables instead of five at $2,500 to see if they’re going to be used and not vandalized, she said.

Recreation Committee member Rob Taylor said the request for funding total came after a lot of committee meetings, sharing of ideas and prioritizing the most important needs first.

The 29-acre French Falls area projects include fixing a washout area of the trail along the river, hardware for trail bridge work, Maine Department of Transportation signage to be posted on Route 4 pointing to the recreation area’s entrance, directional signs along the trails, publication costs for a trail map brochure, and dugouts for the well-used softball field.

The dugouts are to be built by the building technology class at Spruce Mountain High School and Grimaldi Concrete has offered to donate the labor for installing two concrete pads for them.

Approved for the 120-acre Jay Recreation Area are a tractor for mowing and a string trimmer to keep the trails open. A $500 match donation will be provided by the high school’s cross county boosters to help with costs of the trimmer needed to maintain the steeper sections of the trail. The equipment will be stored in a secure shed at the area.

The Jay Recreation Area, which abuts the RSU 73 property, will also be provided with trail signage and map brochure development.

Taylor noted that “a tremendous amount of volunteer work” has been going on at the recreational areas and that “the trails are in great shape.” He said there is annually 100 days’ worth of use at the areas.

“A lot of really good stuff is happening,” he added.

Resident Bill Calden who attended the meeting noted the jump in property taxes this year and said the recreational fund “should be used to pay down the debt to lower taxes.” Last month the selectboard increased the tax rate by $3.85 to total $21.10 per $1,000 of property value due to the reduced valuation in the Verso Androscoggin Mill property.

Town Manager Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere suggested in the next budget cycle to consider drawing from the fund for other recreational programs such as for the ski slope, and AYS that are currently funded through taxation. Though if the recreational fund was used to offset program costs, the account would be drawn down and “you’re not going to keep up with it,” she said.

Select Board member Keith Cornelio said he supported the committee’s request for funding because it’s not raised through taxation and that the areas are getting a lot of use.

“We need something to pick us up. That nearly $4 increase hit me too,” he said of the tax jump. “This is a good investment.”

The board voted 4-1, with Diaz opposed, to fund a total of $9,405. Diaz said earlier in the meeting she was opposed to the funding of materials for the dugouts because if another project asked for funding “we can’t say no,” she said.

In other matters, the board tabled until their next meeting a request from Regional School Unit 73 for a proposal by the town to provide snow plowing services at the Jay schools. While school administrators are exploring possible savings by having the district’s three towns plow the school properties located in each, several at the meeting noted the town’s Highway Department not having the equipment to also plow the school grounds, along with possible legal issue with the school district contracting with the towns for services.

Cornelio suggested tabling it until next meeting and talking with Highway Department director John Johnson on costs and equipment needs and to research possible legal ramifications of a town-school contract.

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1 Comment

  1. $4.00? My taxes went up over $500.00 even with the $5000.00 increase in the Homestead Exemption. I call that extortion.

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