York Town News
Staff changes, beach quality and growth talks top selectmen’s agenda
By Jennifer L. Saunders
YORK - It was a busy evening for the Board of Selectmen as announcements of resignations from two longtime staff members and the appointment of Town Planner Steve Burns as the town's new Director of Community Development were followed by a long talk about growth.
Town Manager Rob Yandow told the board that Public Works Director Bill Bray has announced he will be retiring in November, and the hope is to find his replacement before he departs. Meanwhile, Karen Steadman, who served as assistant to the town manager for longtime Town Manager Mark Green, interim manager Ryan Hada and, most recently, for Yandow, has resigned and will be leaving Town Hall in August.
Burns also has a job change in the future, Yandow said, but of a different sort. After a lengthy search and interviews with five finalists for the director of the newly formed Community Development Department, which includes Code Enforcement, Planning and Geographical Information Systems, Yandow told the board that "Steve Burns, our town planner, was the most highly qualified person for the position."
Yandow said that decision is based on Burns's knowledge of the town as a whole.
And, he said, "Steve understands that integration is necessary not just with the departments but with the boards and commissions. ... I'm very confident that we'll continue to see excellent progress made in the Code Enforcement Office."
A search will now begin for a new town planner.
Also at the start of the July 9 meeting, Yandow clarified a Forbes Magazine article that prompted an article in an area newspaper claiming Short Sands Beach is one of the most polluted beaches in the country.
"The article itself never mentions York," Yandow said of the Forbes report that was referenced by a Portsmouth, N.H., publication earlier this week.
After much searching through the Forbes website, Yandow said, he found a link to Short Sands Beach with a map referring to instances of water quality readings in excess of national standards.
"In 2005, there were five bad tests in Short Sands Beach," Yandow explained, noting that data is correct from Maine Healthy Beaches, but that what is not included is that since the town began its water quality testing program back in 2003 there have been only seven bad tests at Short Sands Beach. He noted that when each of those sites were re-tested the following day, they were fine.
"There are spikes due to animals, people, and in particular runoff from a heavy storm on any particular day," he said, pointing out that York has not had a bad test on Short Sands Beach since 2005.
As a beach town, Yandow said, it is very important to get the accurate information out that York Beach is not polluted.
"I think it's important for people to understand our water quality testing program is highly regarded in the Maine Healthy Beaches Program," he added.
In fact, York was used as the state's poster site for the success of the program and the quality of local waters just last summer.
"We've never had to close a beach," Yandow said. "... We don't have a problem with the beaches."
Monday's Board of Selectmen meeting continued with an extensive discussion of the town's Growth Ordinance and whether to propose changes to the voters in November to encourage affordable housing options and to improve the language of the document.
Ultimately, the selectmen voted to ask Burns to draft proposed amendments to the ordinance to bring forward to a public hearing in August on such facets as clarifying the purpose statement and providing options for longtime property owners.
Requests by Selectwoman Kinley Gregg to restrict the tear-down and rebuild of homes under the ordinance and by Chairman Mike Estes to allow exemptions for building seasonal homes did not win the board's majority support at this time.
For the last item listed on the agenda, a request to reconcile the town's Shoreland Overlay District with York Village's Hospital Overlay District, the board voted 3-0 to refer to the state standards rather than the town's overlay to avoid a complication on the site that would not have allowed York Hospital's planned surgery center and patient wing renovation and expansion to move forward.
Gregg recused herself from the vote as an abutter to the property.
The board also approved the extension for the redemption of 210 Mountain Road and the release of a letter of credit for PHN Homes, LLC.
In other business, the board decided to schedule an agenda item to explore a letter from Ron Nowell regarding historic maps owned by George Sutton that might be available for possible sale to the town. The selectmen indicated they would like to discuss the value of the maps and the best way to preserve them with the Old York Historical Society.
