LINCOLNVILLE — Lincolnville Selectmen will pick up where they left off Dec. 8, and entertain comments from Lynn Travis-Stancioff concerning traffic speeds on Youngtown Road.

The Maine Department of Transportation is granted authorization by the state, with permission of the chief of Maine State Police, to field requests and grant permission for towns the size of Lincolnville to create or change a speed limit on a public way.

Currently, the speed on Youngtown Road is 40 mph from Route 52 to a point 1.25 miles east of Thurlow Road, and 45 mph from Thurlow Toas to Beach Road, about a 1.56 mile stretch.

Residents and frequent travelers on Youngtown Road have noticed an increase of speeding along the road, which is a popular cut through from Lincolnville Beach and Camden when summer traffic clogs coastal Route 1 between the two communities.

In June 2013, Lincolnville voters approved amending its town charter, which stipulated that the town have a police department. The amendment removed that stipulation, and put the decision in the hands of voters. At Town Meeting the day after the polls, voters removed the police department's operating budget, including the police chief's fulltime salary, effectively eliminating the town's law enforcement.

For more than a year now, Lincolnville and 24 Waldo County towns rely on police coverage by the Waldo County Sheriff's Office and Maine State Police. The remaining two towns in Waldo County – Belfast and Searsport – have their own municipal police departments.

Should the Board of Selectmen believe that a chance to the speed limit on Youngtown Road is warranted, the town can request that the DOT's regional traffic engineer conduct a review of the current limits and make a recommendation, after the town will be notified of the change allowed, if any.

The town will then become responsible for erecting standard signage, according to town administrator David Kinney.

Despite a serious lack of cold, snowy weather so far this winter, area snowmobilers are continuing to make preparations for what they hope will be a great season of snowmobiling on Lincolnvile's woods and fields trails.

The Lincolnville Mountain Goats Snowmobile Club will go before the Board of Selectmen tonight, seeking an alternative trail location to connect Breezemere Park and Lincolnville Central School. Following pushback from the Conservation Commission about a request to utility the footpath between the two areas, the club is now proposing to contract another trail location.

The proposed trail would be located between the school footpath and the Lincolnville Public Library, circle closer to the McKittrick's land, run roughly parallel with the school footpath until nearer the school property and then cross the footpath before hooking back up with the existing snowmobile trail.

According to Kinney, Conservation Commission Chair Will Brown is "OK with the proposed [footpath] crossing on the school end of the [footpath] as well as the use of the Norton Pond parking lot trailhead as they establish their own path through the town property."

The snowmobile club appears prepared to do so if they can gain town approval tonight, said Kinney.

Lincolnville Selectmen's Meeting
Dec. 22 AGENDA
6 p.m. at Lincolnville Town Office

1. Citizens' Forum

2. Administrator's Report

3. Meetings & Announcements:
Lakes & Ponds Committee - Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 7 p.m., Town Office
Town Office closing early - Christmas Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 24 at noon
Town Office Closed - Christmas Day, Thursday, Dec. 25
Town Office Closed - New Year's Day, Thursday, Jan. 1
Board of Selectmen – Monday, Jan. 12 at 6 p.m., Town Office

4. Upcoming Community Events

5. Meeting Minutes - December 8, 2014

6. Request for Review of Youngtown Road Speed Limit

7. Lincolnville Mountain Goats Snowmobile Club – Trail request (Breezemere Park to Lincolnville Community School)

8. Discussion of the Five Town CSD Budget Development and Timeline

9. Harbor Committee Deliverables Update – Proposed Harbor Ordinance Amendments

10. Liquor License Renewal – Youngtown Inn and Restaurant

11. Liquor License Application: Catered Function by Qualified Catering Organization - 40 Paper/Josh Hixson (Jan. 8 at Dot's Market from 6 to 9 p.m.)

12. Process and Timeline for Town Administrator's Performance Evaluation

13. Treasurer's and Payroll Warrant(s) – Approve and Sign

14. Adjourn