The Rangeley Board of Selectmen met on April 11, 2023, to review the Annual Town Meeting Warrant. They determined that all previously agreed upon adjustments had been accurately incorporated into the latest document. This warrant included updated Department budget figures that were adjusted upward due to employee wage increases. The Board’s review did not reveal any inconsistencies and they voted to confirm all of the adjustments and the Warrant as presented.
The Planning Board met on April 12th at 6:00pm. They elected Lee Libby to be Chairman with a unanimous vote as their first order of business. The Board then scheduled two site visits after determining the applications were complete. On April 26th they will go to 40 LL Bean Drive (Map 25, Lot 4) at 5:00pm and at 5:30pm go to 11 Pond Street (Map 37, Lot 74). At the conclusion of the site visits the Board will reconvene at the Town Office for their regularly scheduled 6:00pm meeting.
The three Select Board members present at the April 18, 2023, meeting constituted a quorum, so Town business was able to be conducted on one of the lightest agendas the Board has seen in some time. Chairperson Cyndy Egan and Selectpersons Shelly Lowell and Samantha White attended the meeting.
A Liquor License Renewal was approved for Bald Mountain Camps. An Event Permit was issued to the Chamber of Commerce for the May 28th BiKaRu which starts at 9:30am. The permit approval for this Bike-Kayak-Run triathlon type event was conditional upon an okay from the Park Commission and a Certificate of Liability Insurance provided to the Town from the Chamber of Commerce.
The Selectmen also approved a Vendors License to Wayne Dubay dba High Tide-Low Tide Seafood. This license allows Wayne to conduct business on the property of Alice Smith (2632 Main Street) two days per week in the summer and one day per week in the winter.
In August 2021 the Board of Selectmen voted to transfer $578,399.84 from the Airport Reserve Account to the Town’s General Reserve Account. This money was generated by the sale of construction material from Town property at Chick Hill to a contractor working on an airport project. The proceeds from the sale of this construction material were not airport revenue and was deposited into the Airport Reserve Account by a Finance Department error. The money was placed into the General Reserve by the Selectmen because it belonged to the Inhabitants of the Town of Rangeley. The $578,399.84 that was transferred did not include the interest that was generated by that money while it was sitting in the Airport Reserve Account. The interest amount would have been $11,568.00 on the date of transfer. The Selectmen voted at their April 18th meeting to transfer that interest amount into the General Reserve Account. The efforts of the Board of Selectmen to be fiscally responsible in this matter relieves property owners from having to pay $589.967.84 in additional taxes.
An Historic Overlay District has been suggested by several members of the community for areas of the town that have buildings of historical value. The Selectmen asked Town Manager Joe Roach to consult with Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments (AVCOG) to see how an overlay district and form-based code will work together. Joe will incorporate the Town’s interest in an Historic Overlay District into a Request for Proposals (RFP) he is currently working on to hire a Planning Consultant.
The Selectmen supported having the Town Manager gather more information on available grants for electric vehicle charging stations.
Joe Roach updated the Board on the status of the iWorq Program. This program is an interactive computer program to be used by Code Enforcement. Currently the code violation module is running and is being used by Acting Code Enforcement Office Karl Kolze. The application module which will allow the public to fill out building applications online should be active shortly. This iWorq program has the potential to increase application efficiency by sharing information with the Plumbing Inspector, Fire Chief, Police Chief, Water District, Sewer District, etc.
May 6, 2023, will be the 7th Annual Roadside Trash Pick Up Day. Call Traci at the Town Office (207 864-3326) for additional information on this community event.
The Transfer Station will start being open half a day on Sundays starting May 21st.
The Selectmen have scheduled a final public hearing on the Annual Town Warrant on May 15, 2023, at 5:30pm.
The next Selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for May 1, 2023, at 6:00pm.
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