York Town News
From the Manager's Desk
A year to remember
By Town Manager Rob Yandow
Rob Yandow
Speaking of York Beach, 2006 was witness to a flurry of activity before, during and after the flooding. The York Beach Renaissance Committee was busy working on a variety of issues and spent months working on zoning proposals and assisting in the development of a proposal for a Tax Incremental Financing District. Property improvements were also very visible with the Union Bluff and Atlantic House projects getting started.
In April, I submitted a memorandum to the Board of Selectmen outlining the results of my review of the Code Enforcement Office. My review was based on the long-standing and well publicized issues in the Code Office and the results of the Code Enforcement Office Review Committee's lengthy study. My review found that there were no quick fixes in the Code Office, but rather a series of improvements to be made over time. Most of the improvements have been made and most of the recommendations from the Review Committee have been adopted and implemented. A shoreland protection officer will be hired by early January, and the Board of Selectmen recently approved the creation of a Community Development Department, which will consolidate the departments of Planning, Code Enforcement and GIS under the management of one department head.
LD1535, a state law regulating Rate of Growth Ordinances in Maine, and which is now Section 4360 of Title 30-A, M.R.S.A., was passed in the spring. The law, as it was passed, mandates that communities with growth ordinances calculate a 10-year average of building or development permits and issue 105 percent of the 10-year average annually. An additional 10 percent of that annual figure must be set aside for affordable housing each year as well. Citing loss of local control and a drastic increase in the number of permits the town would be forced to issue each year, a group of citizens asked the selectmen to find a way to lessen the impact to the town. As a result, a bill was drafted and submitted to the Revisor's Office for introduction during the 2007 legislative session. The bill, if passed by the legislature, would allow the town to calculate only those permits issued under the requirements of the Town Growth Ordinance since its passage in 2000.
Public health issues were front and center during 2006. In the spring, the town conducted a mosquito control program in order to lessen the likelihood of an Eastern Equine Encephalitis infection. At the same time, we began to ramp up our planning efforts for a possible pandemic flu outbreak. Town government, schools and the York Hospital have continued to meet on a regular basis to discuss individual and group planning issues, including communication plans in order to keep the general public informed. While we fully understand that we will never be totally prepared for a pandemic, we are working to implement procedures that will help reduce the number of decisions that we will need to make "on the fly." A group leadership team representing the participating agencies will be identified soon and will be charged with coordinating the community response when the need arises.
In November, the voters in Maine rejected the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR). While I was relieved that the initiative was defeated, I remain very concerned that the issue of comprehensive tax reform be addressed on a statewide basis. TABOR, in my view, was not the appropriate mechanism to address the inherent deficiencies in our tax structure; however, we need to find a way to identify all available options and start making progress on equitable solutions. Hopefully, all of the groups representing the various stakeholders will work together to develop a reasonable and workable statewide strategy.
In August, the York Housing Authority presented a zoning amendment to the Board of Selectmen to address affordable housing in York. Due to time constraints regarding the November warrant, all of the relevant issues in the amendment were not able to be addressed. The Board of Selectmen determined that an affordable housing committee should be established to research options and present recommendations at a future date. The selectmen adopted a formal charge for the committee and it is anticipated that recommendations will be formulated and delivered for discussion in order to have an ordinance ready for the November, 2007, warrant.
In May, the voters authorized the expenditure of $750,000 for the purchase of land on Long Sands Road. The purchase had been requested based on the land's location and suitability for a new municipal facility. The land was subsequently purchased and SMRT, an architectural firm from Portland, has been retained to develop preliminary plans for a new town hall on the site. A Municipal Building Committee has been formed by the Board of Selectmen to oversee the preparation of the preliminary plans with the hope of developing a construction proposal for voter approval of a new town hall on the May, 2007, warrant. At the same time, SMRT is evaluating potential sites for a new police station, having already completed a needs assessment for the department. The Municipal Building Committee will be overseeing this project as well.
It has been an interesting and productive year. I thank you all for your assistance and cooperation and I look forward to working with all of you throughout 2007.
