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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 147, No. 35
32 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
September 1, 2016
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 2D
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Digging out of a hole?
Harrison considers road work bond
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer HARRISON — Richard St. John would be the first to defend the town’s efforts over the past several years to be relatively debt-free. But, the longtime selectman also recognizes an unexpected opportunity for the Town of Harrison to “dig itself” out of a road maintenance hole and pave the way for a smoother future. With fuel prices remaining low, the cost of asphalt is at a level Town Manager Bud Finch hasn’t seen in years. So, when the Finch rolled out a 20-year comprehensive road plan at last Thursday’s selectmen’s meeting, he proposed an THANKFUL GESTURE — Bridgton resident Brian intriguing idea. To put a real dent in the Ladd looks skyward as he finishes the Naples Causeway 5K Sunday. Full coverage in Section C. (Rivet Photo) list of needed road improvements, Finch sees a golden
opportunity to tackle work slated over a 10-year span to be done in two years by capitalizing on low asphalt costs and low interest rates. The trigger: a $1.3 million bond. “While I realize, at least for the most part, the town has chosen not to bond projects, I believe the current opportunity to accomplish 10 years of paving in a twoyear period would allow us to be that much closer to our long-term goal of economical maintenance of our roads,” said Finch during a PowerPoint presentation to selectmen. “The cost of liquid asphalt is lower than it has been in some time… The ability to put a large project out to bid brings greater competition and far more for our money.” Selectman St. John likes the idea. “This is an opportunity that I think can
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Naples property owners might get a pleasant surprise when they open up their tax bills in the coming weeks. The tax rate has been reduced. On Monday, the Naples Board of Selectmen opted to reduce the tax rate by 35 cents, bringing it to $13.20 for fiscal year 2017. “That is a good mil rate,” Chairman Bob Caron II said after the vote.
All five selectmen were present for the vote. Prior to the motion, the board previewed spreadsheets based on four different tax rates provided by John O’Donnell & Associates. Selectman Rich Cebra asked some questions about the overlay, including how much of it was used during the previous fiscal year. The overlay is a few cents more than the mil rate to account for the percentage of tax bills that are not paid in a timely manner.
O’Donnell provided “the maximum overlay allowed by state law,” Naples Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak said. “Every year, the town dips into overlay usually with abatements. Those come off the top of the overlay. Then, after the fiscal year, it (the remaining overlay money) is rolled over into Undesignated Fund Balance,” Paraschak said. Last year, the overlay was $340,000, he said. Abatements took up about
half of that, he said. So, $190,000 of the overlay was rolled into the Undesignated Fund Balance, he said. Paraschak added that the RATE, Page 8A
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — After some discussion, Naples’ locallyelected public officials decided to send out the personal property tax bills. The Naples Board of Selectmen put on hold the setting of a threshold for the amount of assessed valuation before the town starts the collection process. If the amount of assessed value for personal property was $1,000 that would generate a $13.20 bill based on the tax rate for fiscal year 2017. The question before the selectmen was: Is it worth it for the town to spend money to go after such a small amount of unpaid tax? There was a motion on the floor to set the threshold at $1,000, but the motion was withdrawn in favor of waiting. After all, those bills are going out in early September, and the deadline for payment is October. Therefore, the board can wait and see what percentage of those accounts is paid. There is no state-set minimum valuation for generating personal property tax bills, according to Paul Binette, a long time assessor with John E. O’Donnell & Associates. The town could produce a personal property tax bill for an assessed valuation of $100. That hypothetical tax bill would be $1.32. Some Maine towns do set a threshold on billing. That means assessed value under a certain amount does not generate a personal property tax bill. While the motion was still
on the floor, Chairman Bob Caron II explained why he favored the town taking on the cost of mailing out bills for all accounts. “That is the cost of doing business. You gotta mail your bills out; you gotta pay the postage,” he said. “My feeling is you set a threshold to go after people, but everyone still gets a bill,” he said. “We are saying we hope you pay, we wish you’d pay,” Caron said. Prior to the motion being withdrawn, Naples Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak spoke. “What I would suggest not doing is setting the threshold for enforcement. You will
broadcast it to the public,” he said. “If there is a threshold on enforcement,” some people might not pay because there is no negative outcome, he said. “Ephrem is correct. Send out the bills. See how the collection rate comes in. Then, send a letter,” resident Jim Grattelo said. Resident Jim Turpin said his bookkeeper has a small business in Windham. She receives a bill for approximately $15 in personal property taxes, he said. She told him that she pays the small bill because the Town LOTS OF PAVING HAPPENED THIS SUMMER as the state and municipalities tried of Windham sends a letter to take advantage of low asphalt prices. The Town of Harrison is looking to really cash threatening to do a physical in by possibly seeking a bond to finance an ambitious two-year paving project. TAX, Page 8A
Good news, Naples tax rate cut
This is an opportunity that I think can work,
— Richard St. John Harrison Selectman
work,” he said. With an expected large turnout this November due to the presidential election, Finch would like to put the question out to voters then. Since last Thursday’s meeting was a workshop, selectmen decided to mull over the idea and will decide whether to place a referendum question on the November ballot at their next regularly-scheduled meeting. Mapping the Needs Residents often wonder, “Why is that road being paved and not mine?” Some felt it was a matter of “who you know” over “what needs to be done.” Through advances in computer technology, Harrison officials have utilized a mapping program that has enabled them to identify roadways as either
Tier 1, 2 or 3 — based on the amount of travel — and “grade” roads using various colors — green = good shape, no maintenance; red = reconstruction; orange = needs rehab; yellow = preventative — indicating condition and what maintenance is needed. One example is Tolman Road. The town had to deal with an unexpected sinkhole (“it was like soup”) last spring. “It’s one of those roads less traveled, but is in horrendous condition,” Board of Selectmen Chairman Matthew Frank said. Selectman Bill Winslow agreed. “In some places, it’s not wide enough for two cars to pass.” Even though the road is a short one, the work plan has it broken up into four ROAD BOND, Page 5A
Town hopes people pay, avoid collection process
Lake resident complains about speed boats By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — What do a sunset and a speed boat have in common? Both come in shades of orange. It seems that orange is a memorable color. During a Naples Board of Selectmen meeting on Aug. 22, a resident who lives on Long Lake complained about the increased presence of faster and louder speed boats, particularly this summer. “On Long Lake, there are a number of big boats that are going excessively fast and operating later in the evening,” said Pete Coogan, who owns property on the east side of the lake. Coogan made a reference to the fatalities from a two-
boat collision that occurred in the evening hours on Long Lake in August 2007. He was concerned that the conditions were right for such a tragedy to happen again. “Is there anything the town can do,” he asked. He was told that the lakes in Maine are owned by the state and that the individual towns do not have jurisdiction over speed limits in open water. Naples Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak said that if the Town of Naples had a noise ordinance that would give the town some control over loud boat engines. But, a noise ordinance is not a logical solution for a “town our size,” he said. The best way to see if something can be done about excessive speed and noise on
Long Lake is to contact the State of Maine Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, which governs boating, and express concerns, Paraschak said. The board can approach the state, but that doesn’t mean there will be a resolution, he said. “I cannot be the only person complaining,” Coogan said. Resident Jim Grattelo, who also lives on Long Lake, said “They are chasing the boats out of Lake Winnipesaukee.” A few years ago, a speed limit law was passed for marine traffic on Lake Winnipesaukee. The speed limit is 45 miles per hour; and the speed limit is reduced to 25 miles per hour one half-hour after sunset and
one half-hour before sunrise, according to a website on New Hampshire boating laws. Chairman Bob Caron II said that the harbormaster hired by the town during the summer months “doesn’t have enforcement” powers. He agreed to mention the issue to Rep. Christine Powers to see if she could use her networking to help out. “It’ll only get worse,”
Coogan said. When Coogan spoke before the board during public participation, he mentioned that one speed boat in particular was orange. Naples Harbormaster Bill Callahan said he has observed the orange speed boat on Long Lake. “He goes out almost every night to watch the sunset,” he said. “It is just a loud boat. He COMPLAINT, Page 8A
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