NEW GLOUCESTER — Selectmen were asked Monday to pay half the cost of testing Sabbathday Lake’s water.

They also set deadlines for two property owners with longstanding code violations.

Chris Ricardi, president of the Sabbathday Lake Association, provided information from the water quality report by FB Environmental Associates Inc. of Portland. He said water quality and clarity in the lake is above average, compared to lakes monitored in Maine. 

 The water quality testing program is funded by a partnership between the association and the town. Water testing reports on the lake began in 1975.

“We’re asking in the long term that the town share half the cost of water testing,” Ricardi said. This year’s cost was $2,400, with the town’s portion $1,000 approved by voters last May.

Testing costs are slated to increase to roughly $2,900 this year, he said.

The lake supports a cold-water fishery of trout. In addition, annual testing provides a warning to prevent lake degradation.

The lake is free from milfoil, which is monitored annually through grant funds by a volunteer invasive plant patrol that searches 100 percent of the shallow water of the lake. A new program, Lake Smart, will award those who use practices to keep stormwater from entering the lake.

In other business, the board grappled with two properties with ongoing code violations that date back more than a year.

Code Enforcement Officer Debra Parks Larrivee said Ron Henry’s small-engine repair business at 840 Lewiston Road has gone beyond a simple home occupation to a regular business that has not been approved by the Planning Board. She told the board a scrap metal pile and “an overwhelming” amount of small machines scattered around the property violate state law dealing with miscellaneous nuisances and junkyards.

No outside storage of any kind is allowed on the property. Henry said he is waiting for customers to pick up their machines. He is the sole operator of the business and said he’s striving to comply, but has no indoor storage space.

The board agreed to allow Henry to work with the code enforcement officer toward compliance and to return April 4 to work toward a complete cleanup solution.

Silas and Sandra Leavitt of 52 Maple St. have a large amount of garbage and stray animals that cause unhealthy conditions, Laravee said. A year ago the animal control officer took 40 stray cats from the area, but on a recent visit the situation there are still a large number of cats.

Last year, the Department of Health and Human Services provided a dumpster for garbage, but the garbage is still excessive.

Traps set to catch the cats have caught raccoon, skunks and other people’s cats.

Laravee said rats and mice come to the garbage, attracting the cats.

A fire on the property resulted in the accumulation of debris piles.

The family lives in an RV which is not a year-round structure and exceeds the 120-day limit in the zoning ordinance.

The board said the garbage must be taken care of by March 7, debris removed by April 4, and the cats and housing addressed by Oct. 3.

“Both of these are ongoing violations that never seem to get resolved,” Laravee said in a memo to the board.

Finally, Tim Joy, Cleo Werner and Barbra Thompson were appointed to the Budget Committee. Karen Flick was named animal control officer. John Cavanaugh was named to fill the remaining term of an open seat on the School Administrative District 15 board.