York Town News
Selectmen discuss subdivision woes, mosquito control, cable and more
By Larry Favinger
YORK - The Board of Selectmen discussed varied items at its meeting on Monday, Sept. 11, at the York Public Library.Hickory Lane
In an issue related to the November ballot, the selectmen continue to wrestle with the acceptance of Hickory Lane as a town way, the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of the Hickory Meadows subdivision off Cider Hill Road.
Director of Public Works Bill Bray said there are still issues there that need to be worked out.
The town is exploring collecting the performance bond money to complete the work but the company holding the bond isn't sure of the process to do that. Town Manager Rob Yandow said the discussions with that company have reached the stage that the town attorney is now involved.
Meanwhile, several Hickory Meadows residents spoke at the meeting, stating they agree that the work cited by Bray should be done.
Don Gough, who lives on Hickory Lane, said during the public comment portion of the meeting that there are drainage issues "that should be fixed before the town accepts the road."
If the town votes to accept the road, the town becomes responsible for all repairs required.
"These are not major issues," Bray said, noting the work needed would probably take less than a week to accomplish, but adding the developer has been unresponsive.
"I think it's time for us to get as tough as we can on this," Selectman Torbert Macdonald, Jr., said, citing years of issues with the project's developer.
Mary McCafferty, a Hickory Meadows resident, said the developer doesn't care and that the town should take the money from the bond and do the work.
Selectmen Chairman David Marshall said the town must "develop some kind of comprehensive approach to this issue."
It will be discussed further at next week's meeting, set for Monday, Sept. 18, as the final meeting at which an issue can be forwarded to the November ballot.
Municipal Building Committee
The selectmen also approved the composition and charge for a Municipal Building Committee to oversee plans for the town's newly acquired land behind Coventry Hall on Long Sands Road.
The committee will include two selectmen, a member o f the York School Committee, two at-large members of the public and one non-voting member of the town staff - either the town manager or his designee.
Members of the public wishing to serve on the committee are asked to contact Karen Steadman at Town Hall by calling 363-1000. Volunteers should have an ability to serve as active members for a minimum two-year period.
The committee is modeled after the one that handled the renovation and expansion project at York Middle School. Its primary task will be to oversee the proposal and use of the Coventry Hall land recently purchased by the town for a municipal complex.
Time Warner Cable
The selectmen decided the next agreement with Time Warner Cable of Maine to provide service to the town should be no longer than five years due to the expansion in technology. The current contract was a 15-year agreement.
"We have to renew," Macdonald said, saying there is no competition in the area, but adding, "We ought to have a studio where we can originate programming" as part of the next agreement.
Macdonald said the $130,000 in franchise fees from Time Warner now goes into the general fund.
Marshall said the town should coordinate with the School Department as well, because an area to teach broadcasting was part of the original proposal for an arts wing in the past year. The revised proposal, which omitted the broadcast portion due to cost, did not pass at the polls in May.
There is a possibility that Time Warner's on-demand service could include town meetings, such as the Board of Selectmen and School Committee, in the future.
Mosquito Control
The selectmen have voted to continue the mosquito control program approved by the voters in May.
"I think southern Maine is pretty safe right now," said Michael Morrison of Municipal Pest Management Services, who has been working on the issue in the town. "The risk is low, but there are still mosquitoes."
He said there will be mosquitoes in the spring and there is "a lot of work to be done in a short amount of time" to deal with those issues.
Macdonald said Yandow should draw up a work plan to include an educational component to make people aware of the possible problems and how to protect themselves.
There was general agreement that there were fewer mosquitoes than usual this year because of the Mother's Day weekend flood washing away larvae.
Associate Editor Jennifer L. Saunders contributed to this report.
