Town Council Meeting Report

At the June 10, 2024 Town Council meeting, the council voted on the agenda items listed below.    Councilors Gabrielson and Thompson attended remotely.


1.  Approval of Draft Minutes for Special Town Council Meeting on May 6, and Draft Minutes for Regular Meeting on May 13; 7-0 vote via roll call.

2.  Consent Calendar for Items #107-2024 - Item 109-2024 -- Item #109 Removed; Items #107-2024 and #108-2024 approved; 7-0 vote via roll call.
Item #107-2024 Inn By The Sea Special Amusement Permit and Liquor License Renewal
Item #108-2024 Consider a Request to Apply for a Grant from the Maine Department of Transportation

Item #109-2024 Acceptance of Bequest to the Thomas Memorial Library from the Estate of Barbara Orlowski - Councilor Jeremy Gabrielson requested to remove this item from the Consent Calendar so that he could recuse himself from the vote. Gabrielson announced during Town Council Reports and Correspondence, that his wife has recently been hired by the Thomas Memorial Library.  Councilor Harriman Jordan disclosed that her farm does business with Inn By the Sea.

3. Item #109-2024 Acceptance of Bequest to the Thomas Memorial Library from the Estate of Barbara Orlowski; 6 in favor 1 abstention vote via roll call.
Councilor Gabrielson abstained from voting on this item.

3.  Public Hearing ADU Amendments
No public comments received during the public hearing.

4.  Item # 110-2024 Consider Recommendations from the Planning Board Relating to ADU Amendments; 7-0 vote via roll call.
The council voted unanimously in favor of approving the Chapter 19 Zoning Ordinance ADU amendments as recommended by the Planning Board.

5.  Public Hearing on Outdoor Storage Amendments;
Michael Friedman, owner of The Lumbery, pointed out that he had worked with Town Attorney Mary Costigan in crafting the amendments and supports the changes.  No other members of the public provided comments.

6.  Item #111-2024 Consider Recommendations from the Ordinance Committee Relating to Outdoor Storage Amendments; 7-0 vote via roll call.
Councilor Stephanie Anderson, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, moved to approve the proposed amendments; Councilor Harriman Jordan seconded.  When asked by Councilor Penny Jordan if the Ordinance Committee considered including the Planning Board's recommendation to not apply amendments to outdoor storage areas for businesses in the Business A districts that have a building footprint which exceeds 2,000 sq. ft., Anderson answered, "We didn't incorporate it. This was written by our Town Attorney and we felt it should go directly to the Town Council."  As for the Planning Board's concern that some larger properties in the Business A district might expand their outdoor storage to 2 times, Anderson said, "There is no indication that this will happen. If this did happen we could come back and revisit this."
7.  Item #112-2024 Consider Recommendations from the Ordinance Committee Relating to Parking Restrictions on Dyer Pond Road; 7-0 vote via roll call.
The council voted in favor of sending the recommendations to a Public Hearing on July 8, 2024.

Councilor Anderson explained that the issue to address parking on Dyer Pond Road came from residents who raised safety concerns over multiple cars parking on the street to access a Greenbelt trailhead. The Ordinance Committee held four meetings which involved the Director of Public Works, Chief of Police, and significant citizen input before arriving at the recommendation to create 5 gravel parking spots adjacent to the paved surface of Dyer Pond Rd and trailhead. Street parking will not be permitted on the entire south side of the road.

8.  Item #113-2024 Consider Recommendations from the Appointments Committee Relating to Appointments to the Ad Hoc Privacy Advisory Committee; 7-0 vote via roll call.
The council voted unanimously in favor of the Appointments Committee's recommendation to appoint Michael Hussey, Curtis Kelly, Greg Reid, Al Romano, and Jon Stanley to the  newly formed Ad Hoc Privacy Committee for terms of 2 years.  

9.  #114-2024 Consider School Building Project Process Going Forward and Protocols as Amended on 6-10-24; 5-2 vote via roll call.
Interim Town Manager Michael McGovern provided the Town Council with a document framing the process and protocol for moving forward with the School Building Project.  McGovern began discussion by removing a provision within the draft; "If a project is successfully approved, the Town Council and the School Board will consider terms of reference for a building committee to be created in early 2025."  Based legal opinions received, McGovern explained that this provision would fall under the School Board's discretion alone.  No objections to striking the language were made.

Councilor Susan Gillis made a motion to amend the document per McGovern's recommendation and to include the following paragraph, "To ensure the health and safety of our students and staff, the Town Council intends to put forth a bond referendum amount sufficient, at a minimum, to cover the costs of building deficiencies, critically needed repairs, and necessary security upgrades at all three schools, as reported by Harriman Architects and the School Building Advisory Committee."  Councilors Jordan and Jordan Harriman commented that the additional language should not be included and considered only after the School Board hears from Harriman Architects on June 11, and the two bodies have an opportunity to discuss at a joint workshop scheduled for June 17.

Jordan Harriman questioned whether the document was something to "accept" or "approve," stating that the two words have very different implications with varying weight. By approving the document, "I don't want this document to be saying that we have to put the minimum forward for the referendum [$36 million]," before knowing what will come out of the next two meetings with the School Board and architects.

The council voted 5-2 in favor of approving the document as amended; councilors Jordan and Jordan Harriman voted against it.  The approved document  directs the School Building Advisory Committee to sunset on June 30.

10.  #115-2024 Carry Forward Balances from FY 2024 to FY2025; 7-0 vote via roll call.
McGovern explained, "These are things we hoped to complete in the current fiscal year, but have not yet been completed.  It's a better practice to do it before the end of the fiscal year."  The carry forward balances will be added to the next fiscal year's budget.

More: Latest News