Recap of 4/28/08 Town Council Meeting
Here’s the skinny on tonight’s town council meeting:
Town Council Meeting - April 28, 2008
Councilor Gagne was not present.
Organizational – Elect Council Chair
-Councilor Jean Demetracopoulos was elected as Council Chair
Reports
Bruce Whitney reported on the status of two vacant lots the town wishes to sell. The lots were acquired through a tax seizure. He explained that in order to sell the properties would need clear title. He explained work that has been done on behalf of the town to get the clear title. The town’s choices are to sue the directors of the now defunct company that formerly owned the property or wait until 2009 when a 15 year waiting period will expire. The council agreed to wait until 2009 rather than incur any legal expenses that would arise from a lawsuit.
Unfinished Business
1. Discuss Comprehensive Plan
-The council plans to take action on the Comprehensive Plan at the next town council meeting.
New Business
1. Discuss/take action on Solid Waste Committee charge.
-The solid waste committee will take up the charge of educating the community about pay per throw. The committee also requested a workshop to discuss more about the option of single stream pay per throw.
2. Discuss/take action on Safety Enhancement Grant.
-Council unanimously voted to approve grant request of $2000.
3. Take action on Strategic Underage Drinking Enforcement Grant.
-Council unanimously voted to approve grant request
4. Approve consent order between Joseph Rousselle and the Town of South Berwick v. Janis Dickson and Ernest Dickson.
-After several residents spoke against approval, Council voted to approve consent order to vacate a lawsuit and allow a variance on a Waterside Lane property to allow landowner to build structure within 100 ft. of waterfront rather than the 250 ft. required by zoning. It was a split vote with Demetracopoulos, Roberge, and Burke voting for and Kareckas voting against.
5. Take action on SMRPC General Assembly membership.
-Voted to appoint Councilor Burke and Jim Fisk as members of the Southern Maine Regional Planning Council
6. Adopt budget for fiscal year 2009 and sign warrant for town meeting.
-Citizen Richard Clough asked the council to consider taking money from the undesignated fund to keep from having to raise taxes before adopting the budget. Citizen John Rudolf asked the council to make more cuts in expenses but leave the undesignated fund intact before adopting the budget. The Council voted to adopt the budget for fiscal year 2009 and sign warrant for town meeting on June 2.
7. Accept resignation from Library Advisory Board.
-The council voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Maggie Croteau, who has moved to Berwick.
8. Sign warrant calling for special town meeting on May 12th.
Council voted to sign warrant for special town meeting for the following items:
(Note: the warrant was read very quickly-this may not be accurate)
–$150,000 for unexpected highway maintenance
–$100,000 for overdraft in Town Manager budget
–$15,000 for overdraft in administration for legal fees
Executive Session – 1 MRSA 405-6D Discuss Police Union Contract.
Tags: budget, so. berwick government, town council
April 29th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
From what I hear, Councilor Gagne LEFT the meeting in a huff. Also, the council failed to listen AGAIN to the people in attendance with grave concerns concerning a variance on a house on PROTECTED land. I thought the air was going to clear and a fresh start was in the wind. Sounds like things are going from bad to worse! I am so disappointed in the new chair for speaking up as a steward of the land. I had a sign for her on my lawn when the elections were coming and am sorry I did.
April 29th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
The Town’s responsibility is to raise property taxes to meet costs.
Over the last few years our town management has been unable to
make the correct calculations to raise the necessary property tax revenues.
Due to an oversight (in tax year 04/05) of accidentally charging the towns people $99,000 less than they intended, the town not only didn’t receive the $99,000 but they also inadvertently established the base of the LD1 cap at an unrealistically low level.
Because the property tax rates are so tied into the LD1 limits this established base has wreaked havoc on the town’s budget.
If you can follow the chart below you will see that the town’s mismanagement of basic math has cost the town’s savings account approximately $645,000.
THESE CONSEQUENCES WILL CONTINUE TO RACK UP.
TO CORRECT THESE RECENT ERRORS THE TOWNS PEOPLE NEED TO INCREASE THE LD1 BASE.
MOVING FORWARD UNDER STABLE FINANCIAL FOOTING WILL BENEFIT ALL.
April 29th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Just a clarification. As far as I know Councilor Gagne left the meeting because he had another engagement and was in a hurry.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
The LD1 limit is a guideline created by the state of Maine to limit town tax increases. When the LD1 limit was created for South Berwick in 2005, the accountants involved made a clerical error. As a consequence, the limit was set much lower than was intended by the State of Maine.
Today, this error gives South Berwick citizens the unfortunate misconception that the town wants to raise taxes beyond state guidelines. This is simply not the case. The 14+% tax rate increase the town is asking for is within the intended guidelines of the state of Maine, accounting for increased cost of living and infrastructure maintenance. However, the clerical error adds a confusing layer of bureaucracy to the issue.
By accepting the proposed budget and voting to increase the LD1 base by $480,000 to correct the compounding clerical error made in the past, we can avoid this misunderstanding in the future.
Please vote yes to the budget and its corresponding LD1 increase so that the town of South Berwick can get back on stable financial footing.