Ogunquit News
Selectmen address traffic and school funding, sign warrant articles
By Melissa Wood
OGUNQUIT - At their meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 20, the Board of Selectmen signed the warrant articles for the April ballot, heard a legislative update and started the discussion for ways to mitigate traffic in Ogunquit Village Estates.The warrant articles include the $6,463,759 fiscal 2008 budget recommended by the selectmen and 14 amendments to the zoning ordinance.
The warrant articles will be up for discussion at a public hearing on March 6 that will be attended by the Board of Selectmen and members of the Planning Board and Budget Review Committee.
Last week's legislative update from Ogunquit's two legislators, Sen. Peter Bowman, D-Kittery, and Rep. Dawn Hill, D-York, included information about Gov. John Baldacci's Local Schools Regional Support (LSRS) plan - a discussion that Acting Town Manager Loring DeAgazio called very interesting.
Bowman is chairman of the state senate's Education and Cultural Affairs Committee.
"There were a lot of questions," DeAgazio said.
As DeAgazio pointed out, Ogunquit has filed legislation regarding school funding and its current educational funding situation with the town of Wells. Ogunquit officials would like to see the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District amended.
But, DeAgazio said, that legislation is on the back burner and may at this time be a bill in name only.
Representatives from Ogunquit Village Estates were also on hand at the meeting to talk about traffic mitigation at the new development.
In November, the Superior Court had overturned the town's approval of the subdivision following an appeal brought by an abutter, William Bodack.
According to the court's ruling, the town must find a way to mitigate the traffic in the area before developments can be approved.
DeAgazio said it's likely the Board of Selectmen and Planning Board will hold a workshop within the next 60 days to discuss the issue further.
Discussions on the governor's LSRS and competing proposals at the legislative level are continuing in Augusta.
