UPDATE: Hope voters approve town budget, metal mining moratorium, zoning changes

Susan Mustapich
Sat, 07/22/2023 - 9:45am

    HOPE – Voters approved a 180-day moratorium on metallic mining activities, changes to shoreland zoning and the $1.478 million municipal budget for 2023-24 at the annual Town Meeting July 20.

    Articles on the warrant were decided by a show of hand at the meeting, which took place at the town’s fire station. Approximately 83 residents attended the meeting, according to Town Clerk Pamela Smith.

    Metallic mining moratorium

    Voters approved a 180-day moratorium on metallic mining in Hope on the town meeting warrant, which provides the town time to review and possibly change its municipal ordinances governing mining. Prior to a June 14 public hearing in Hope on the proposed moratorium, the Alford Lake/Lermond Pond Association urged Hope residents to attend.

    The temporary moratorium was proposed in response to meetings held in Union and Warren, at the request of Toronto-based Exiro Minerals, to talk with residents about mining exploration projects. Exiro Minerals generates and explores mineral projects, according to its website.

    The local meetings were a first public step in the exploration process, which began several years ago, when Robbins Lumber Company leased a 180-acre parcel near Crawford Pond to Wintergreen LLC, a subsidiary of Exiro, according to reports in The Maine Monitor.

    View the full text of Hope’s proposed Metallic Mining Activities Ordinance Moratorium here.

    Shoreland Zoning Amendments

    Voters approved changes to the town zoning map (61 yes, 24 no) and the Shoreland Zoning ordinance (50 yes, 25 no) in order to align the town’s ordinances with state minimum requirements for resource protection within the shoreland zone.

    In a public letter to residents in the shoreland zone, Town Administrator Samantha Mank explained the purpose of the amendments to the town’s shoreland zoning. 

    The Maine Department of Environmental Protection amended requirements for Resource Protection districts by eliminating specific language concerning moderate or high value waterfowl and wading bird habitats and associated wetlands back in 2015, according to the letter. 

    “Although municipalities may wish to adopt more stringent ordinances, provided that such ordinances are equally or more effective in achieving the purposes of the Natural Resource Protection Act, the Hope Planning Board and Select Board felt that the legislative body, which is the voters, should make that decision,” Mank wrote.

    Hope’s proposed amendments to its Shoreland Zone Ordinance and official Zoning Map “reflect the mandatory required areas and properties that must be included in the Resource Protection districts,” by Maine Environmental Projection, “and have removed those that are not required,” Mank explained.

    View the full texts of the proposed amendment Shoreland Zoning Amendments and official Zoning Map.
     
    2023-24 town budget
     
    Voters weighed in on town spending for cost centers including: Administration, Public Safety, Reserve Accounts and Provider Agency funding to Spectrum Generations. For each cost center, both Select Board and town Budget Committee recommendations were printed on the warrant.
     
    Voters approved the amount of $1,033,915, recommended by the Budget Committee, to be used from non-property tax revenues in order to lower the tax burden on residents, 
     
    Voters approved spending totaling $427,082 for Administration; $178,293 for Public Safety (Select Board recommendation), $798,027 for Public Works; and $74,815 for Reserve Accounts. Voters decided not to raise and appropriate any funds for Provider Agency funding to Spectrum Generations, following the Budget Committee’s recommendation.
     

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