October 04 Lamoine Quarterly Page 3

Selectmen Beef Up Traffic/Parking Ordinance

(Lamoine) — The town won’t get into the parking ticket business anytime soon, but the teeth to do so should be on the books. After a number of complaints about worm harvesters parking in front of the fire hydrant on Douglas Highway, the Selectmen asked Hancock County’s Chief Deputy to review the town’s traffic control ordinance.
Chief Deputy Richard Bishop found a number of areas to improve the ordinance and responded back to the Selectmen. Among the major area missing in the ordinance was a ban on parking in front of the dry hydrants scattered around town. Bishop said if the fire trucks needed the hydrants in an emergency, they could forcibly move the vehicles, but an ordinance would be better.
The changes proposed to the ordinance include establishing a 15-foot radius around the fire hydrants which cannot be occupied by a parked vehicle. It also better defines the present no-parking areas to coincide with the official road names and numbering system. Finally, it allows the Sheriff’s department to train local parking enforcement officers should the town desire.
The Traffic Control Ordinance is one of the few that the Selectmen can enact and amend without having to go to town meeting. The final amendments were set for Sept. 30th.

Permit Issuance On Par With Last Year

(Lamoine) — As the end of September approaches, Code Enforcement Officer Dennis Ford reports he has issued a total of 60-construction permits for 2004. In 2003, the CEO had issued 64 permits by the end of September. Permits issued since the last edition of the Lamoine Quarterly are as follows:
# Name Project
31 Wayne Lawrence Steps to Shore
32 R. Fennelly Sr. Slab
33 B & L Eaton Addition
34 A. Stapleton Manufactured Home
35 S. Workman Garage Addition
36 Anne Smith Deck
37 R & O Mikes Lean-To Addition
38 Randall Simons Residence, Garage
39 D & L Goodrich Steps to Shore
40 Jessie Butler Addition to Garage
41 D & K Overlock Residence, Garage
42 Peter Farrell Playhouse
43 Brian McDonald Breezeway
44 Wayne Wright Residence
45 Lance Landon Convert to residence
46 Barbara Davis Residence
47 Lynn Tscheiller Hoop House
48 Hamm/Kimball RV on n/c lot
49 Herb Watson Barn
50 K & D Theall Residence
51 Kim Murphy Addition to Store
52 Peter Mayo Car Port
53 J & K Olsen Residence
54 Frank Foisy Shed
55 Leon Sargent Workshop
56 K & C Fredette Residence, Deck
57 Joanne Parkinson Residence
58 P & L Trepanier Shed

A complete, running list of all the permits issued is maintained on the town’s website (http://www.lamoine-me.gov/Town%20Hall/Permit%20Index.htm). Several applicants have taken advantage of the construction permit application which is also posted on the website.

Selectmen Purchase Insurance For Volunteers

(Lamoine) — Volunteers acting on behalf of the town now have some coverage if they are injured or (gulp!) killed doing work for the town. A new policy option from Maine Municipal Association will help cover gaps in case of injury. The total cost to the town was just under $200 for the dozens of volunteers who serve on boards and committees, but are not compensated, and therefore not covered by Workers Comp Insurance.

Long Range Planning Committee Seated

(Lamoine) - The call went out for volunteers during the summer, and Lamoiniacs came through. Instead of whittling down willing volunteers for Lamoine’s new Long Range Planning Committee, the Board of Selectmen appointed all who said they’d like to help out. That means a committee of over 20-people and a lot of interesting discussion.
Selectmen appointed government insiders and outsiders alike to the committee, but with no stated goal other than to come up with a scope of work by the end of October. Serving will be George Crawford (Public Works Study Committee), Tammy Dickey (School Committee), Dennis Ford (Code Enforcement Officer), Jane Fowler (Assessor), Jay Fowler (Board of Appeals, Public Works Study Committee), Perry Fowler (Selectman), Michael Garrett (Planning Board, committee secretary), Ray Graham (citizen), Bethany Hanson (citizen), Brett Jones (Planning Board and committee chair), Michael Jordan (Fire Department), Lance Landon (citizen), Dale Macurdy (citizen), Bonnie Marckoon (School Building Committee), Reginald McDevitt (Public Works Study Committee, Board of Appeals, Budget Committee), Kathleen Rybarz (citizen), George Smith (Fire Chief), Fred Stocking (Conservation Commission, committee vice chair), Chris Tadema-Wielandt (Appeals Board, Public Works Study Committee), Lynda Tadema-Wielandt (Conservation Commission), Jack Thibeault (citizen), John Wuorinen (Appeals Board, Public Works Study Committee, Cable TV Committee), and Joe Young (Budget Committee & Fire Department). The initial meeting with the Selectmen in September saw committee members express where they felt the town should explore.
The committee will attempt to set its goals for October, and perhaps break out into subcommittees to gather information and ideas on the many subject areas.

Lamoine Gets Grant to Study Water
By Fred Stocking & Carol Korty, Conservation Commission

Maine is a state rich in natural materials that provides the support for a diverse economy. These resources are subject to multiple uses. The Freshwater Initiative proposes to look at one specific area of shared use: sand and gravel deposits. These deposits are a legacy of the glaciers that melted away 10,000 years ago. Contained within this geological material are large quantities of high quality groundwater. Since sand and gravel resources cover less than 5% of the state, an important concern is how to balance resource consumption and drinking water conservation.
There are over 3,000 public water supply wells in Maine and many thousands of private wells. Many of the highest-yielding wells are constructed in sand and gravel. According to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, there are currently 160 active sand and gravel pits in the state. The pits are distributed unevenly and some towns may have up to 14 active pits within their borders. Although sand and gravel pit operations have been compliant with state environmental regulations, the long-term effects of mining on groundwater is unknown.
Groundwater is an important resource for drinking water in rural areas. Researchers from the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research at the University of Maine are studying these relationships in the towns of Lamoine, Hancock, and Ellsworth to evaluate how well the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s rules work. This effort is part of a state-wide program to understand how human activities affect water resources. We are beginning our project in Lamoine, Hancock and Ellsworth because of the existence of a comprehensive groundwater study completed in 1983 for the Lamoine area. The baseline study will give us a useful reference to understand how groundwater conditions have changed over 20 years.
The study received $5,000 in funding from two environmental foundations to help match the work from the Mitchell Center.

Town of Lamoine, Maine
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The Lamoine Quaterly - October 2004

Selectmen Beef Up Traffic/Parking Ordinance Permit Issuance on Par with Last Year Selectmen Purchase Insurance for Volunteers Long Range Planning Committee Seated Lamoine Gets Grant to Study Water	Selectmen Beef Up Traffic/Parking Ordinance (Lamoine) — The town won’t get into the parking ticket business anytime soon, but the teeth to do so should be on the books. After a number of complaints about worm harvesters parking in front of the fire hydrant on Douglas Highway, the Selectmen asked Hancock County’s Chief Deputy to review the town’s traffic control ordinance. Chief Deputy Richard Bishop found a number of areas to improve the ordinance and responded back to the Selectmen. Among the major area missing in the ordinance was a ban on parking in front of the dry hydrants scattered around town. Bishop said if the fire trucks needed the hydrants in an emergency, they could forcibly move the vehicles, but an ordinance would be better. The changes proposed to the ordinance include establishing a 15-foot radius around the fire hydrants which cannot be occupied by a parked vehicle. It also better defines the present no-parking areas to coincide with the official road names and numbering system. Finally, it allows the Sheriff’s department to train local parking enforcement officers should the town desire. The Traffic Control Ordinance is one of the few that the Selectmen can enact and amend without having to go to town meeting. The final amendments were set for Sept. 30th. Permit Issuance On Par With Last Year (Lamoine) — As the end of September approaches, Code Enforcement Officer Dennis Ford reports he has issued a total of 60-construction permits for 2004. In 2003, the CEO had issued 64 permits by the end of September. Permits issued since the last edition of the Lamoine Quarterly are as follows: # Name Project 31 Wayne Lawrence Steps to Shore 32 R. Fennelly Sr. Slab 33 B & L Eaton Addition 34 A. Stapleton Manufactured Home 35 S. Workman Garage Addition 36 Anne Smith Deck 37 R & O Mikes Lean-To Addition 38 Randall Simons Residence, Garage 39 D & L Goodrich Steps to Shore 40 Jessie Butler Addition to Garage 41 D & K Overlock Residence, Garage 42 Peter Farrell Playhouse 43 Brian McDonald Breezeway 44 Wayne Wright Residence 45 Lance Landon Convert to residence 46 Barbara Davis Residence 47 Lynn Tscheiller Hoop House 48 Hamm/Kimball RV on n/c lot 49 Herb Watson Barn 50 K & D Theall Residence 51 Kim Murphy Addition to Store 52 Peter Mayo Car Port 53 J & K Olsen Residence 54 Frank Foisy Shed 55 Leon Sargent Workshop 56 K & C Fredette Residence, Deck 57 Joanne Parkinson Residence 58 P & L Trepanier Shed A complete, running list of all the permits issued is maintained on the town’s website (http://www.lamoine-me.gov/Town%20Hall/Permit%20Index.htm). Several applicants have taken advantage of the construction permit application which is also posted on the website. Selectmen Purchase Insurance For Volunteers (Lamoine) — Volunteers acting on behalf of the town now have some coverage if they are injured or (gulp!) killed doing work for the town. A new policy option from Maine Municipal Association will help cover gaps in case of injury. The total cost to the town was just under $200 for the dozens of volunteers who serve on boards and committees, but are not compensated, and therefore not covered by Workers Comp Insurance. Long Range Planning Committee Seated (Lamoine) - The call went out for volunteers during the summer, and Lamoiniacs came through. Instead of whittling down willing volunteers for Lamoine’s new Long Range Planning Committee, the Board of Selectmen appointed all who said they’d like to help out. That means a committee of over 20-people and a lot of interesting discussion. Selectmen appointed government insiders and outsiders alike to the committee, but with no stated goal other than to come up with a scope of work by the end of October. Serving will be George Crawford (Public Works Study Committee), Tammy Dickey (School Committee), Dennis Ford (Code Enforcement Officer), Jane Fowler (Assessor), Jay Fowler (Board of Appeals, Public Works Study Committee), Perry Fowler (Selectman), Michael Garrett (Planning Board, committee secretary), Ray Graham (citizen), Bethany Hanson (citizen), Brett Jones (Planning Board and committee chair), Michael Jordan (Fire Department), Lance Landon (citizen), Dale Macurdy (citizen), Bonnie Marckoon (School Building Committee), Reginald McDevitt (Public Works Study Committee, Board of Appeals, Budget Committee), Kathleen Rybarz (citizen), George Smith (Fire Chief), Fred Stocking (Conservation Commission, committee vice chair), Chris Tadema-Wielandt (Appeals Board, Public Works Study Committee), Lynda Tadema-Wielandt (Conservation Commission), Jack Thibeault (citizen), John Wuorinen (Appeals Board, Public Works Study Committee, Cable TV Committee), and Joe Young (Budget Committee & Fire Department). The initial meeting with the Selectmen in September saw committee members express where they felt the town should explore. The committee will attempt to set its goals for October, and perhaps break out into subcommittees to gather information and ideas on the many subject areas. Lamoine Gets Grant to Study Water By Fred Stocking & Carol Korty, Conservation Commission Maine is a state rich in natural materials that provides the support for a diverse economy. These resources are subject to multiple uses. The Freshwater Initiative proposes to look at one specific area of shared use: sand and gravel deposits. These deposits are a legacy of the glaciers that melted away 10,000 years ago. Contained within this geological material are large quantities of high quality groundwater. Since sand and gravel resources cover less than 5% of the state, an important concern is how to balance resource consumption and drinking water conservation. There are over 3,000 public water supply wells in Maine and many thousands of private wells. Many of the highest-yielding wells are constructed in sand and gravel. According to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, there are currently 160 active sand and gravel pits in the state. The pits are distributed unevenly and some towns may have up to 14 active pits within their borders. Although sand and gravel pit operations have been compliant with state environmental regulations, the long-term effects of mining on groundwater is unknown. Groundwater is an important resource for drinking water in rural areas. Researchers from the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research at the University of Maine are studying these relationships in the towns of Lamoine, Hancock, and Ellsworth to evaluate how well the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s rules work. This effort is part of a state-wide program to understand how human activities affect water resources. We are beginning our project in Lamoine, Hancock and Ellsworth because of the existence of a comprehensive groundwater study completed in 1983 for the Lamoine area. The baseline study will give us a useful reference to understand how groundwater conditions have changed over 20 years. The study received $5,000 in funding from two environmental foundations to help match the work from the Mitchell Center.
		A Little Close The new traffic ordinance would prohibit parking within 15-feet of marked fire hydrants. The worm harvester’s vehicle above would technically be in violation.

The Lamoine Quaterly - October 2004