Town Meeting Warrant Article 3

Public invited to Rockport Community Park informational meeting, May 16

Event has passed

    Legacy Rockport, the nonprofit that works to enhance the vitality of Rockport, is encouraging the public to attend its May 16, 4:30 p.m., meeting at the Simonton Corner Hall to learn more about the proposal to transform the 7.67-acre RES parcel into a community park.

    The Lesher Family Foundation has pledged to give the town money to set the RES site aside for use as a park, and to fund the creation of park designs, as well as public outreach efforts. The Foundation provides more information about the park vision through its website.

    Article 3 on the 2023 Rockport Town Meeting Warrant (Town Meeting takes place June 13 via secret ballot at the Rockport Town Office, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) asks voters if they want to authorize the Select Board to enter into an agreement with the Lesher Family Foundation to:

    • Accept a donation in the amount of $1 million from the Lesher Family Foundation to be used by the Town to fund a project or projects that the Town, in its sole discretion, determines should be funded by the donated funds. 

    The Select Board also proposing to use that $1 million donation to apply to the $3.76 million West Street fire station construction project.

    • The Town agrees to retain title to and dedicate the former Rockport Elementary School site for use as a public park and recreation area.

    • The Lesher Family Foundation will fund the design and construction of a public park and recreation area, with input from community members, expending an amount of $3 million for such design and construction.

    • The Lesher Family Foundation will oversee fundraising to fund an endowment for the future operation and maintenance costs of the public park and recreation area. The Lesher Family Foundation will cover any shortfall in donated monies to ensure that annual operating and maintenance costs are paid by the endowment and not by the Town.

    All members the Select Board and the Budget Committee have voted in favor of this agreement.

    The public is invited to the May 16 conversation to learn more about the proposal that voters will continue when they go to the polls June 13.

    Please join Legacy Rockport at the Simonton Corner Community Hall at 4:30 p.m., May 16.
     
    Upcoming informational meetings include:
    • May 25, 6 p.m., TOR/LFF/Viewshed presentation at Union Hall (24 Central Street)
    • June 1, 6 p.m., TOR/LFF/Viewshed presentation at West Rockport Baptist Church (545 Park Street)
    • June 11, Ice Cream Social at the RES property, details to be announced

     

    The Lesher Foundation’s following statement offers additional details and clarifications regarding its commitments surrounding the maintenance of the proposed community park:

    LFF Commitments for the Community Park

    If the June vote passes, LFF will coordinate with the Town and local residents to set up a park conservancy. It will be run by a volunteer board drawn from the wider Rockport community. The conservancy will hold two main responsibilities. The first is to manage park operations and maintenance. The second is to raise funds for an endowment and to steward that money to ensure funding is available for future generations.

    LFF will assist the conservancy board as it establishes an endowment. LFF commits to support the fundraising efforts for the endowment, which will be driven by the conservancy board. LFF will also contribute to the endowment.

    LFF does not anticipate a shortfall in an annual maintenance budget as it is committed to working with the town and community to ensure the park’s sustainability before breaking ground. In the unforeseeable event there is a budget shortfall, LFF commits to providing funds to cover basic park maintenance for the first five (5) years.

     

    Event Date: 

    Tue, 05/16/2023 - 4:30pm

    Address: 

    Simonton Corner Community Hall
    366 Main Street
    Rockport, ME 04856
    United States