The Town of Fairfield Planning Board will hold a public hearing in the Community Center on Water Street at 7 p.m. , Monday, June 16, for the following matters:
— The request of Spring Brook Ice & Fuel Co. for a Conditional Use Permit, Propane Bulk Plant, at 17 Oakland Road. Property is presently owned by Antonio and Maria Pereira, zoned rural residential, and identified on the Assessor’s Map 2, Lot 37.
— The request of Lawrence MacDonald for a Conditional Use Permit, used car sales, at 12 Ohio Hill Road. Property is owned by Linda Daigle, zoned village, and identified on the Assessor’s Map 5, Lot 81A.

A special selectman’s meeting will be held at 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 20, at the Benton Town Office in Benton. The single item on the agenda is to discuss the need for an administrative assistant for the town office (Article 8 of the 2008 town meeting warrant). For more information, call the town office at: 453-7191, kvcog.org/Towns/benton.htm

HIGHLAND PLANTATION — School costs in this tiny community of 35 households jumped dramatically for a second straight year.

The 17 residents who turned out for Saturday’s annual town meeting approved a school budget of $121,730, a nearly $38,000 increase over a year ago and a more than $103,000 hike from what voters passed in 2006.

“A lot (of people) were saying they cannot afford to have the property tax go up so much,” School Committee member Frances Sieber said.

CAMBRIDGE — Voters directed selectmen to appoint a committee to look into way to fix or replace the leaking 200–year–old Cambridge Dam.

The dam has been at the center of town since before the town was even incorporated but is leaking badly. Town officials worry that the cost of repairing or replacing the earthen structure will be more than the small town —population about 500 — can afford.

Residents directed selectmen to appoint a three–person committee to gather information and estimates on different courses of action, according to Clara Watson, town clerk.

The committee is to give the information to selectmen who are to put an article or articles before voters at the 2009 town meeting.

A proposal to elect a road commissioner was not approved by residents. Currently that function is the responsibility of the board of selectmen. Residents also opted not to support a proposal to elect selectmen on staggered terms. Currently all the selectmen have one–year terms.

In municipal elections, Bernard Watson Sr., Ronald Strouse and William Digby were each reelected to the board of selectmen, said Watson.

About 40 people attended the meeting.

HARMONY — Caution was the word Saturday, at the annual town meeting.

Mindful of a June referendum, voters decided to table consideration of a town revaluation, and the dispensation of state funding for winter roads.

First Selectwoman Donna Olsen said that residents wanted to wait on competing quotes for the town revaluation. Olsen said that one quote came in at $33,000 and the other was $52,000.

Residents were concerned that a $52,000 state grant for winter roads was not adequate, Olsen said. They left the money in a general fund for June, rather than designating it to a specific road, she said.

Jesse Patterson was unopposed for another term as second selectman.

CANAAN — Voters scrutinized both the salaries of certain town officials and the manner in which roads are repaired, but gave approval to related articles on Saturday’s annual town meeting warrant.
As usual, the Canaan Elementary School cafeteria was packed for the meeting. It was a prelude to Monday’s municipal elections, during which Ray Judkins will challenge Ray Small for road commissioner. Judkins also is running for a seat on the Board of Selectmen, which the town maintains is contrary to advice from the Maine Municipal Association.
Residents rejected a Judkins amendment to article 16. The Road Committee recommended $175,000 for road improvement, and Judkins wanted the money to come from the general fund, instead of taxation. The original request then passed.
Judkins also questioned the overage in the $124,000 request for winter road maintenance.
He pointed out that the town had quoted an overdraft of $1,200 compared to the auditor’s $18,000, and asked for an explanation. Town Clerk Barbara Geaghan responded that the auditor was not there to answer that question.
“That’s not an answer,” Judkins said.
“Yes, that’s an answer,” moderator Larry Ross answered. “It’s just not the answer you wanted.”
Following earlier debate, voters approved a raise for Barbara Geaghan, who serves as town clerk and excise tax collector.

SMITHFIELD — Voters at Saturday’s annual town meeting approved spending $90,000 for costs to drop off trash at the Norridgewock landfill and approved all items related to a proposed new town office/fire station.

Sixty-six people turned out for the evening meeting which lasted just under two hours, according to Town Clerk Linda French.

“I think it was a very good meeting last night,” French said Sunday. “We had a lot of positive comments and questions — and no arguments.”

While voters approved raising and appropriating the $90,000 for waste disposal, they discussed possible changes to the way trash is taken and disposed of at the Waste Management Disposal Services of Maine in Norridgewock to better track amounts and costs, according to French.

First Selectman Gary Witham said recently that costs for residents to dump trash at the back gate of the landfill have increased significantly. In 2007, the town budgeted $69,000 for waste disposal and ended up spending $84,540, he said.
That was a jump from the $53,000 the town spent in 2002.

French said that voters Saturday agreed with selectmen that alternatives must be researched.

“This has just gone up horrendously,” she said. It’s just huge.”

Voters approved borrowing up to $200,000 for construction at the elementary school so that it can be turned into the town office and fire station once the school is vacated. School Administrative District 54 is building a new school in Norridgewock and it is scheduled to house Smithfield, Mercer and Norridgewock children in kindergarten through grade six starting in the fall.

Voters approved selling the current town office/fire station once the school is vacant and placing proceeds from the sale into a fund reserve for replacing the roof at the new town office/fire station. Voters also agreed to raise and appropriate $50,000 for the New Construction Building fund.

In elections, all candidates ran unopposed.

Amy Calder — 861-9247
acalder@centralmaine.com

ANSON — Voters at Saturday’s town meeting appropriated a $1.48 million municipal budget, approving all 44 warrant articles in just under an hour.

In some cases, they increased requested amounts.

Fire Chief Alan Walker asked that the proposed $102,210 Fire Department budget be increased to $105,000 because of a busy January and February and due to failed equipment that had to be replaced or upgraded.

Shirley Mellows asked that requests for $5,000 for the Stewart Public Library and $5,000 for the Madison Public Library be increased $1,000 each. Voters handily approved both Walker’s and Mellows’ requests.

Voters also decided to make a first $70,000 payment on a bridge on Four Mile Square Road that the town replaced last year. County and school costs are unknown.

Inez Moody was re-elected to the Board of Selectmen; Raymond Moody was re-elected to the Anson-Madison Sanitary District; Francis Mattingly was re-elected to the School Administrative District 74 Board of Directors and Donna Bartlett was elected to that board as a write-in candidate.

Amy Calder — 861-9247
acalder@centralmaine.com

PALMYRA—The town will have to get by with $200,000 less this year, but property owners are still going to pay more in taxes.

The municipal budget approved during Saturday’s town meeting will come in around $826,000 after more than $200,000 was cut during the meeting, said selectman Michael Cray.

But because only $300,000 will be taken from surplus to help offset the money that must be raised by taxes, residents will end up paying $20,000 more in property taxes than they did last year when nearly $600,000 was spent from surplus.

The figures represents about a 2.5 mil increase, Cray said. That means an extra $250 on an average $100,000 home.

The heaviest cuts came in road work, including more than $100,000 shaved from gravel work that is part of a five year improvement plan approved last year.
Residents also cut $90,000 from paving projects and $20,000 from work on Spring Hill Road.

Voters also rejected the comprehensive plan by a 34-25 margin.

Herbert Brindley (107 votes) and Priscilla Jones (119 votes) both won reelection to the board of selectmen in Friday’s voting.

Kelly Rowell was reelected to the School Administrative District 48 board of directors.

PLEASANT RIDGE — Voters on Saturday voted to post speed limit signs on roads and agreed to set aside $15,000 for the future purchase of a truck for plowing.
Twenty-nine of 76 registered voters turned out for the town meeting, which lasted about three hours, according to Town Clerk Marilynn Smith.

“Everything passed,” Smith said of the 65-article warrant, which voters handily approved. “Even the moderator said how smoothly our meetings go.”

Marlene Merrill was elected second assessor to replace Robert Bowden, who chose not to run for re-election.

Cemetery caretaker Clark Sherman, also a member of the Cemetery Committee, stepped down after 35 years, according to Smith. Jessie Brown and Retta Giguere were elected to that panel. All other officials kept their seats.

The municipal budget approved Saturday is $467,000, but that amount is expected to increase when county costs, yet unknown, are added, Smith said. A Land Use Regulation Commission fee also must be added.

Voters asked to have speed limit signs posted because they said people drive too fast on plantation roads.

Amy Calder — 861-9247
acalder@centralmaine.com

STARKS — When it came time to fund a town-funded, household trash pickup they had approved in the previous article Saturday, voters said no.

Following vigorous debate, residents had voted, 50-34, to pay for the townwide trash pickup. A health and safety committee had recommended the move, partially in response to blight and trash buildup in certain sections of town.

Residents then considered spending up to $46,000 to fund the new system.

But Gwen Hilton then said that the recycling rate would suffer. Her husband, Ernest Hilton, added that the town might inherit trash from outlying areas, and that the code-enforcement officer could address the problem of trash in certain areas of town.

Robin Melanson-Quimby added that the town could address the problem more economically by providing dumpsters.

STARKS — Joe Miller defeated Gene Tweedie, 67-19, in Friday’s municipal elections for a seat on the Board of Selectmen.

Miller succeeds Herb Oliver, who chose to run for a position on the Board of Assessors. Joy Hayden defeated Oliver for that position, 67-22.

NORRIDGEWOCK — Voters on Monday agreed to spend $500,000 to improve Wilder Hill Road, despite protests from several residents who live on the road.

Town Manager John Doucette said about four or five of those residents complained that paving the road would increase the number of speeders.

They said they preferred to leave the highway as an “old country road,” Doucette said.

Despite their reservations, voters approved spending $250,000 from fees collected from Waste Management Inc. and $250,000 from taxes to get the job done.

Meanwhile, voters approved a $1.5 million municipal government spending plan and re-elected its Board of Selectmen.

Re-elected to the five-member Board of Selectmen were Ronald Frederick, 122; Matthew Schaeffer, 91; Richard Holt, 85; Rick Pomerleau, 84; and Victor Jepson, 74. Challengers Thomas Lint got 70 votes and Laura Lorette got 62.

Elected as tax assessors were Ronald Frederick, Richard Holt and Rick Pomerleau.

BINGHAM — Voters approved the town’s proposed spending package Monday but it is too early to predict the direction of taxes, according to First Selectman Steven Steward.

The town will raise about $640,452 for municipal expenses, about $71,000 more than the previous year, but it will be months before the impact of school and county expenses are known.

Steward said an increase in property values could help balance at least part of any increase.

“We have a lot of homes and camps to be assessed this year,” said Steward. “Last year, I expected taxes to go up but we had enough growth to cover it.”

The town report lists 31 building permits issued last year for a variety of projects, including cabins, homes, garages and decks.

BINGHAM -- Voters had plenty of questions but few found reason to oppose articles that represented the bulk of the town's budget Monday night.

In polling before the meeting, Bonnie Atwood and Joey McKenzie won seats on the School Administrative District 13 school board in a three-way race for two open positions.

NORRIDGEWOCK -- In a very slow-moving town meeting Monday night, voters spent more than an hour arguing about whether to elect or appoint the town clerk and town treasurer.

By written ballot, they voted 39 to 28 to reject an article seeking to have the positions appointed. The town will continue to elect a person to fill those positions.

SOLON -- Despite some resistance, town meeting voters here Saturday afternoon authorized selectmen to go out to bid for a new tandem axle truck for the highway department as part of an $861,000 municipal spending plan.

Selectman Elaine Aloes said buying a second, $100,000 tandem axle truck would save the town money in fuel because it would make less trips to get the job done.

She said the town buys a new truck every five years and it made sense to do so now -- about two years early -- while the town has insurance funds and other money it can use toward the purchase. Over a 5-year loan, annual payments will be about $13,700, she said.

NEW PORTLAND -- Change was not on the minds of the 50 people who braved the elements to attend Saturday's annual town meeting.

In this its Bicentennial year, the town of fewer than 1,000 -- known was its situation on the Carrabassett River and the famous Wire Bridge -- town officials dressed in early-1800s attire. They read poems, and proclamations.

But change came, too.

HARTLAND—Mike Brown was elected as the newest member of the board of selectmen in Friday’s elections.

Saturday’s annual town meeting was postponed due to a storm. The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 22, at the town hall.

Mike Brown garnered 86 votes to defeat Michael Gould, who got 35 votes, in the race for a one-year term on the board of selectmen.

A total of 169 voters cast ballots.

There were no registered candidates for a 3-year term on the School Administrative District board of directors. Two women, Alison Ramsdell and Kimberly Godsoe, each collected one write-in vote, said Town Clerk Joyce Halford, who also was reelected to a one-year term with 149 votes.

Vaughn Stedman, Gretchen Elliott and Weston Gould each got one write in vote.

Halford had not contacted Ramsdell or Godsoe Saturday morning and was unsure if either would be willing to accept the position.

“We’ll have to look around to see if someone can be appointed,” Halford said.

ST. ALBANS—Incumbent Peter Denbow, who has served a partial two-year term on the board, was unseated by William Keating in Friday's election.

Saturday’s annual town meeting was canceled due to a storm. The meeting has been rescheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 8 at the town hall.

Keating received 113 votes to Denbow’s 84. There were a total of 203 voters, according to Town Manager Larry Post.

Stacey Desrosiers, who garnered 188 votes to win another term as town clerk and Ronnie Finson, who won reelection to road commissioner with 174 votes.

Kevin Brown was reelected to a three-year term on the School Administrative District 48 board of directors.

Ronald Fowle (142), Dennis Smith (113) and Michael Wiers (152) each was elected to a three-year term to the budget committee.

EMBDEN -- Wendell Routon scored one victory of sorts on Saturday, but his tumultuous three-year term as chairman of the Board of Selectmen came to an end.

In unusually high voter turnout, residents chose Scott Lehay to replace Routon on the board. Lehay, director of transportation and maintenance in School Administrative District 74, defeated Routon 159-100.

In another ballot item, residents by a 158-93 decision cast a vote of no confidence in SAD 74 Superintendent Regina Campbell. Routon has been an outspoken critic of Campbell, accusing her, among other things, of being a big spender.