PHILLIPS – The annual town meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 21 at the Phillips Area Community Center, with elections, a $1.3 million municipal budget and the acquisition of the old Skowhegan Savings Bank building up for discussion.
Selectman Lincoln Haines’ term is up on the board, with nominees for that three-year position accepted from the floor. Two Regional School Unit 58 school board positions will also be up for election: one is the vacancy created when Director Rebecca Garlick left the board earlier this year, while the other is due to the conclusion of Director Lynette Abbott’s three-year term. Abbott has expressed an interest in running for her seat, according to information provided by Town Manager Maureen Haley.
The proposed municipal budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year is recommended at $1,299,709, an increase of $9,257 or roughly 0.7 percent over the current fiscal year. Those figures do not incorporate the RSU 58 and Franklin County budgets.
Notable among the 49 articles is an offer to have the now-vacant Skowhegan Savings Bank, located on Maine Street and the Dodge Road, donated to the town. Residents would need to approve the acquisition, which includes the provision that the former bank could not provide space for a lending institution. Should the town approve acquiring the building, a second article would authorize the Board of Selectmen to spend funds out of the Town Office Capital Improvement fund to maintain and improve the building and grounds.
New ordinances include ‘The Local Food and Community Self-Governance Ordinance,’ part of the state-wide food sovereignty movement that utilizes a new law to provide additional flexibility for food sales conducted out of residences and farms. Effectively, the ordinance exempts local producers from licensing and inspection requirements associated with farmers markets or roadside stands, assuming the transaction is between the producer and a customer buying for home consumption or for a local event.
The Property Maintenance Ordinance appearing on the town meeting warrant was drafted by the town’s Planning Board, undergoing a number of revisions and public meetings prior to Thursday’s vote. It sets minimum standards for property maintenance, including keeping property clear of garbage, debris and more than three inoperative vehicles; and also requiring homeowners to begin or contract for repairs within 90 days of a casualty damage incident, with a 180-day extension available for extenuating circumstances. Fines could be imposed by the town’s Code Enforcement Officer if the ordinance was not adhered to.
Also on the warrant is the town’s ongoing sidewalk restoration project. The project, which began in 2012, has been slated for possible construction in 2019, aligning it with Maine Department of Transportation Route 4 construction project in a hope to get a better bid price. The sidewalk project would rebuild sidewalks along Main Street from the bridge on Route 142 to Trecartin Park and from the corner of Pleasant Street to the corner of Depot Street. The majority of the project would be covered by a federal Transportation Enhancement Grant, with the town previously setting aside $60,000 for the local match. Over the past six years, the cost has increased from $300,000 to $400,000.
A frequently-stated concern, according to Haley, is that the federal grant would require the town to maintain the sidewalks for a 20-year period.
The article would have the town cease operations on the project.
