LISBON — The Town Council voted unanimously to approve a proposal that allows Central Maine Power to convert all CMP-owned lights to LED lights. More than 520 CMP-owned streetlights in town would be converted. The conversion would save the town $22,770 a year and there is no cost to the town to convert, Town Manager […]
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Mechanic Falls councilors get overview of RSU 16 budget
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect additional action taken by the council Monday night. MECHANIC FALLS — Town Manager Zakk Maher told town councilors Monday night that a federal agency has approved the plan to renovate the former medical building on Pleasant Street, paving the way to move town offices there. The […]
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Auburn council passes $41.7M budget
AUBURN — The City Council voted 5-2 Monday to approve a $41.7 million budget, but not without rekindling a debate over Fire Department overtime expenses and additional EMS staff. The vote came two weeks after debate over the fire and EMS budgets led to a 2-3 vote in first reading. Along with the 2017-18 school […]
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Lewiston council backs off Sabattus Street narrowing plan
LEWISTON — Sabattus Street won’t become an experiment in lane-narrowing, councilors voted Tuesday night. The City Council spent 90 minutes discussing a plan to narrow Sabattus Street from four lanes to three — one lane in either direction separated by a turning lane — between Old Greene Road and Grove Street before voting it down. […]
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Auburn mayor offers TIF money to help balance school budget
AUBURN — The city could use $450,000 in Tax Increment Finance money to offset a proposed 7.3 percent tax increase for schools, Mayor Jonathan LaBonte said Monday. LaBonte outlined his idea to use the revenue from city economic development TIF districts to fund career-oriented education for Auburn students. “I’m going to make a suggestion about […]
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Lewiston councilors warn bigger school budget must be spent wisely
LEWISTON — The City Council and a few taxpayers gave mixed reactions Monday night to a larger proposed school budget. The majority of councilors said they’d support a larger budget. A few qualified that by saying they’ll first need to be convinced by teachers that it’s necessary. The current fiscal year budget is $64.7 million. […]
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Lewiston council begins comp plan review
LEWISTON — City councilors will suggest changes to the Legacy Lewiston Comprehensive Plan in writing, leading up to a May hearing on the document. “We have a little more work to do on this document before we are ready for a public hearing,” City Administrator Ed Barrett said. Councilors reviewed a list of 50 suggested […]
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Auburn council ready for downtown zoning code change
AUBURN — The city’s downtown, from Great Falls Plaza to New Auburn, could get a new set of zoning codes and design standards, according to staff reports Monday night. Councilors heard a report on adopting a form-based zoning code scheme for the downtown. It would be designed to make the area more inviting to pedestrian […]
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Auburn council may want narrower focus on police initiative
AUBURN — City councilors may want a police-led effort to focus on revitalizing the poorest areas of the city to have a narrower focus, they said Monday. “We can’t do it all at once,” Mayor Jonathan LaBonte said. “We have to pick one area and we need the schools to work with us and then […]
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Lewiston City Council settles in for split votes
LEWISTON — Voters put three Maine People’s Alliance candidates and three conservative candidates into the seven open City Council seats Tuesday night. Joline Landry Beam, who beat two opponents to claim the open Ward 6 seat, said she might be the swing vote. “I think I can work with anyone,” Beam said Tuesday. “I think […]