AUBURN — A few dozen people streamed into Auburn Hall on Monday to speak against a proposed zoning ordinance that will make it easier for commercial development near the city’s major recreational areas, but most left disappointed. The City Council voted 5-2 during final reading to implement the ordinance that city officials believe could attract new […]
Auburn City Council
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Auburn City Council, School Committee candidates set
AUBURN — The deadline passed Thursday for submitting nomination papers to run for municipal office, and the final list of candidates is set for the November election. There is some guaranteed turnover on both the City Council and School Committee, meaning city and school government in Auburn could have a different tone next year. In […]
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Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Auburn may pave the way for development near recreational land
AUBURN — City officials would like to make it easier for new development near recreational areas — something that residents have opposed but city officials say could attract new people and stabilize businesses. Picture condominiums next to a golf course fairway, or a hotel at Lost Valley ski area. The City Council on Monday will […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Werts running for Auburn council
AUBURN — A former fire chief and state legislator is throwing his hat into the ring for City Council. R. Wayne Werts, who retired from the Auburn Fire Department in 2010 after serving 33 years — the last nine as chief — will seek one of two at-large seats on the council. Following his retirement, […]
Posted inLetters
Hayes’ diatribe unwarranted
In his letter (May 4), former Auburn Councilor Bob Hayes criticized Mayor Jonathan Labonte for “a flood of e-mails” to recent city managers. Having personally tried to get those former employees to work for Auburn taxpayers, I am confident that the mayor’s e-mails were warranted. While weak mayors historically are typical of the manager-council form […]
Posted inLetters
Resetting Auburn’s ‘house’
Recently, Auburn’s current mayor was quoted as saying “The house has been shaken off its foundation for a while now.” A community’s foundation is its people and its public and private entities. Fortunately, Auburn’s foundation is still strong. Unfortunately, the social/economic/political “house” has been weakened and detached. “For a while,” the mayor has: • Overwhelmed […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Auburn zone change will allow neighborhood market expansion
AUBURN — The City Council unanimously approved a zone change Monday that will allow an expansion at Gowell’s Variety, a popular neighborhood market on Hampshire Street. The business improvements will come during a time of greater focus on the neighborhood, which is set to receive a face-lift this summer. The owners of the market at […]
Posted inLetters, sj-web
Auburn needs stability
Something is very wrong in Auburn City Hall. During the past five years, since January of 2012, Auburn has had two city managers and is looking for a third. There has been a full (not interim) city manager only two-thirds of the time. The current acting city manager, who had been a candidate for the […]
Posted inLetters, sj-web
Auburn needs stability
Something is very wrong in Auburn City Hall. During the past five years, since January of 2012, Auburn has had two city managers and is looking for a third. There has been a full (not interim) city manager only two-thirds of the time. The current acting city manager, who had been a candidate for the […]
Posted inLetters
Recognizing Auburn’s needs
I congratulate the Auburn City Council for having a substantive city budget discussion about spending priorities and how to fund them. Rather than hiding behind an arbitrary Consumer Price Index cap and forcing the city manager to keep spending below that number, the councilors recognized Auburn needs more and had a thoughtful, careful discussion about […]