Recap Lisbon Town Council Meeting August 21, 2012

RECAP TOWN COUNCIL MEETING – AUGUST 21ST

I understand my recaps of the meetings and workshops are rather lengthy but it is extremely hard to condense three hours into one page.  Some items are more important than others but I do not know which ones you are interested in so I try to write something about each.

 Councilors Bowie & Bickford

During Audience Participation, Dot Fitzgerald, Dale Crafts, Roger Cote and I all spoke about the upcoming Charter Amendment concerning the municipal budget.  Councilor Bowie recommended and the entire council agreed that after two no votes by the people; the proposed budget by the council would go into effect.  All of us who spoke disagreed with this and asked the council to reconsider utilizing last year’s budget after two no votes by the people.

Under Audience Participation Response, Chairman LaRochelle addressed several of Mrs. Fitzgerald’s questions from the previous meetings but never addressed and of my questions. 

Under Council Orders, Resolutions & Ordinances was the following:  Finance Committee 1st reading; Carries & Transfers; 2012-2013 Road Paving Schedule.  All of these were discussed and with the exception of the Road Paving were voted on 7-0.  The Road Paving needed additional information.  The rest of this section dealt with administrative changes to law on Health Service and Community Development Block Grant procedures.  If you need to see details, please go to the agenda documentation on the town web site.  Councilor Bowie made all the “SO MOVED” and someone would second and then all the puppets raised their hands in support.

 

Under Other Business, the Tax Assessor set the Tax Rate at 0.02226 which means the MIL RATE is now $22.26 per thousand verses last year’s MIL RATE of $21.00 per thousand.  This will provide you an idea of how much your taxes are going to go up this year.  The Finance Director provided a brief report on the year to date Revenues and Expenses.  The Town Manager reported he had nothing to contribute.

Lisbon Finance Director Jessica Maloy

 Lisbon Tax Assessor Bill Van Tuinen

During Councilor Communications, Chairman LaRochelle talked about the question of whether or not the Water Department should be placed under the town.  Chairman LaRochelle indicated it was going to be a question on the November ballot for the people to decide.  He stated there was no reason to conduct workshops on this before the people make their decision.  Councilor Mason stated she still wants to know the PROs and Cons.

 

 Councilor Gina Mason

After the Executive Session, the Council returned, Councilor Bowie made a motion to go after the owners of the property at 231 Lisbon Street and Cotton Road for Code Violations.  I have checked with several members of the audience and all of them agreed; Councilor Bowie did not provide a specific address on Cotton Road.  Apparently, everyone on Cotton Road LOOK OUT!

I hope I have provided you with a brief summary of what took place at the meeting.  If you want more details, please let me know.  I will be following up on some of these items with separate articles with my opinion.

Larry Fillmore
Concerned Citizen

(All photos pleasantly provided by: Coucilor Cote)