Recap Town Council Meeting - January 21, 2014

                    RECAP TOWN COUNCIL MEETING – JANUARY 21ST

Last night’s Town Council meeting was once again a tension free meeting.  All personnel in attendance presented their points of view in a very cordial manner.

During Audience Participation, Water Commissioner Bill Bauer, presented two amendments to the current bill before the legislature which were discussed the prior week in a workshop.  This brought on a lengthy discussion about if the Town Council supported changing the Water Department to a Water District.  Today, the legislature was meeting with the Water Department to evaluate if progress had been made on their bill.  The Water Department was looking for a letter of support or at least no objections from the Town Council.  It ended with the Town Council stating they would prepare a letter for the legislature.

Under Council Order, Resolutions & Ordinances the Town Council set the 2014 Delinquent Tax Rate as the same as last year which is 7%.  The Council approved the bid for replacement Backhoe.  And with a surprise action the Council went into Executive Session and when they came back, Chairwoman Ward announced that the Separation Agreement dealt with Stephen G. Eldridge receiving a Separation Agreement.  The following Councilors voted to approve the Separation Agreement:  Chairwoman Ward; Councilor Bickford; Councilor Lunt and Councilor Garrison.  Councilor Pesce; Councilor Brunelle and Councilor Metivier were against a Separation Agreement.  According to Chairwoman Ward once the Separation Agreement was completed she would make the terms available to the people.

Under Other Business – The Finance Director gave her monthly report.  Mr. Dennis Douglas provided an excellent presentation of what occurs in the Code Enforcement Office.  Mrs. Tracey Steuber provided an excellent presentation of what occurs in the Economic Community Development Office.  This was followed by presentation by Jamel Torres from Healthy Androscoggin with the results of the Rural Active Living assessment.  This was followed by Mr. Don Fellows endorsement of the 2014-2015 Capital Improvement Plan.

Finally under Appointments – Dennis Douglas was appointed as ARTC Technical Committee Alternate.

Paula Gibbs, reporter for the Sun Journal, left at approximately 08:05 PM while the Town Council was in Executive Session so the article on the Sun Journal was only half of what happened at the Town Council meeting.

Larry Fillmore