ROCKPORT — The following is Rockport Town Manager Jon Duke's report to the Select Board submitted in advance of its April 14 regularly scheduled meeting.

Donations
Readers of this report over the last few months may recall a request for financial support to reconstruct the basketball courts at Marge Jones Field.

The Town plans to resurface the court last fall were dashed when the condition of the underlying pavement was proven to be so poor that the courts had to be deemed unsafe for playing and a full reconstruction of courts would be necessary to make them usable once again.

With incredible thanks and gratitude, Griff and Linda Lesher have stepped forward to support this effort and put these courts into fine working order! The Select Board at Monday’s meeting will vote to approve accepting this incredibly generous gift and, on a personal note, as a parent of kids in our community who play basketball, I am incredibly appreciative of Griff and Linda Lesher once again stepping forward to support our community.

And speaking of collaborations and generosity, Monday’s Select Board meeting will also include a vote to accept two gifts of $20,000 each from the Library Committee, whose funds are separate from the Town’s operations and the Rockport Library Foundation. These gifts will be used to support a Town project to add seven parking spots at the library and improve the drainage on Limerock Street and through the Memorial Park.

Town Clerk

Property Taxes Due. The second property tax payment is due April 15. While we can accept tax payments at the Town Office during regular business hours, our online tax payment system is live on the Town website 24 hours a day.

Special Town Meeting – Tuesday, April 15 at 5 p.m.

A special town meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. at the Geoffrey C. Parker Room. The purpose of this meeting is to clarify the reference in state law from which municipalities utilize to manage wastewater matters.

In the process of working with the Town of Camden on an agreement for disposal of Rockport’s wastewater, our Town Attorney found this issue and has asked the Town to consider this change. The updated reference does not provide or limit additional powers in the process of making this change, but it is a necessity to ensure the management of the wastewater system is consistent with current state laws.

This is the question the voters would be asked to consider:

Shall the Town approve the revision to Article V, Wastewater, Section 1 of the Town Charter – Section 1 Organization - The Town is authorized and empowered to acquire, construct, reconstruct, improve, extend, enlarge, equip, repair, maintain, and operate a revenue-producing wastewater facility consisting of a sewer system or part thereof within or without or partly within and partly without the corporate limits of the Town, in accordance with MRSA Title 30-A, Part 2, Subpart 5, Chapter 161 and Title 38, Chapter 10 12.

All ordinances, rules, and regulations presently existing pertaining to the wastewater facility shall remain in full force and effect until amended. The Town's current Sewer Use Ordinance and Appendices serves as primary municipal regulation.

June Election Ballot: The June 10 ballot is now set for those running for offices in the town government.

Select Board: (1) three-year term, John Viehman

Library Committee: (2) three-year terms, Laura Bonazzoli, Douglas Cole

Budget Committee: (3) three-year terms, Craig Mitchell

MSAD28/Five Town CSD: (1) one-year term Christine (Cricket) Fuller

MSAD28/Five Town CSD: (1) 3-year term Brieanna Gutierrez, Ellen Reynolds, Stacey Contakos

Bureau of Motor Vehicle Plate Changes

On May 1, 2025, the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles will begin replacing all existing Chickadee plates with a new design. Residents with a Chickadee plate should prepare for their vehicle registration to take a bit longer than it has this year.

Anyone who currently has plates with the chickadee design will be required to obtain new plates when they renew their registration or obtain a new registration on or after May 1, 2025.

This means municipalities will be issuing a new plate when registrants with a chickadee plate “renew their registrations.”

For new registrations and renewals in the Passenger Class (PC) class code, registrants can choose:

• a Pine Tree Plate (existing PC class code) for no additional costs or;

• a “no tree plate” (new NT class code) for no additional costs or;

• one of the current specialty plates (normal fees apply).

Plate Reservations
Registrants who would like to keep their current chickadee plate numbers may reserve their plate number for a $25 one-time fee. This includes people with vanity, low digit, and National Guard (PC class code) plates.

You can reserve your plate online. Registrants with questions about reserving platereserve.bmv@maine.gov.

Annual Town Meeting/June Elections
All items on our Annual Town Meeting warrant will be decided at the polls on Tuesday, June 10, at the Rockport Public Library. The school budgets will be part of this election, and all ballot information will be available on our town website at rockportmaine.gov once those ballots have been finalized. Absentee ballots for the June election will be available beginning on Monday, May 12.

In Lieu of Taxes

Many thanks to Coastal Mountains Land Trust who contributed $1,046.05 in lieu of paying taxes to help assist with Town provided services. Though it is not a requirement, it is appreciated non- profits see such value in how the Town supports them.

Assessing

Revaluation
Representatives from KRT Appraisal have largely completed their inspections of homes in Rockport for the forthcoming revaluation process. In the coming weeks KRT Appraisal will review sales data and begin the process to establishing values for properties.

Later this spring, letters will be circulated to property owners to inform them of their new valuation and provide an opportunity to discuss this new valuation.

As a reminder, the rate of increase in valuation does not equal the rate of increase of your tax bill. We hope to be able to clarify that matter for residents this summer, but again this process of revaluation is merely created to ensure the Town is equitably valuing properties in our community and like all property in the state of Maine, using that as a basis to levy a property tax derived from costs at the school, county and municipal levels.

Buildings and Grounds

Our staff are assisting Maple Street Design in a feasibility study review of town buildings in terms of their existing conditions and needs for future development. The Opera House, Town Office Building, Public Safety Building, and Public Works Garage are all under this review.

The findings of this study should greatly help the Town prioritize its needs in the coming years and ensure the Town’s infrastructure is being maintained in a cost-effective manner. The findings of this effort will be reviewed by the Select Board and the Budget Committee once complete in the Fall of 2025.

In addition to the regular maintenance schedule, our crew has been working at Public Works, making long overdue improvements to the break room area.

Maine Municipal Association Scholarships

MMA is currently offering five (5) $1,000 scholarships for Maine high school seniors planning to enter post-secondary education at a community college, trade school or university, which is located in Maine that will be pursuing a career in municipal government or public service. Applications are  being accepted now with the deadline at noon on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

Fire Department

Our new West Rockport Fire Station is almost complete, we are hoping in the next few months to have an open house so everyone can come tour our new station.

We are also working on some new programs to help assist our residents. Stay tuned...

EMS Service
As of April 1st, Rockport Fire and EMS are now the primary transporting EMS authority in Rockport. We will now be able to transport patients in need immediately and without delay. We will continue to utilize Northeast Mobile Health Services as a mutual aid partner when needed, and we will provide mutual aid support for our neighboring communities when needed.

Residents should continue to dial 911 in an emergency and the dispatcher will ensure the proper service responds as quickly as possible.

Want to join the Fire Department?
Rockport Fire and EMS are always looking for individuals who want to join our crew! We are always looking for Per Diem Paramedics and Per Diem Firefighters EMT/AEMT and volunteers of all types!

For those interested in learning more about joining the fire department, please contact Chief Jason Peasley at jpeasley@rockportmaine.gov.

Cemeteries

We open our Town cemeteries for the season on May 15, but that opening is weather dependent. We need time for our contractors to complete their spring clean-up and remove debris accumulated through the winter, but rest assured we will have our cemeteries in excellent shape prior to Memorial Day.

Harbor

Commercial Floats are now in the water, and we are starting to add more floats when the weather cooperates. Not unlike our cemeteries, the harbor and Marine Park take many weeks to take shape and resemble what we wish of them for the summer season. It’s natural to hope to see all of the spring clean-up completed in short order, but our process takes several weeks and consecutive days of good weather to get us back in tip top shape.

Reminder
Online Mooring payments need to be received by May 1.

Summer Concert Series
Stay tuned for more details to come.

Planning and Codes

Planning and Codes Clerk Position:
We are currently in the process of interviewing candidates for the Planning and Codes Clerks position. This position will be responsible for the administrative and clerical work in support of both the Planning and Town Clerk departments and is the primary point of contact for incoming phone calls and walk-in traffic for the Town office. This position has been vacant since Scott  retired and Andrew became our new Code Enforcement Officer, so Andrew has been juggling  both positions.

Business Ordinance Licenses:
As some may recall, the Town ballot in November included an ordinance change which institutes licensing for businesses who provide lodging and/or serve food. The process of beginning this licensing effort is underway and letters to these businesses are being sent out this month. In summation, this letter is an introduction to the ordinance and helpful information regarding what to expect and who to contact. This also includes a self-check list for businesses to start this process in preparation of their inspection.

Any questions you can email our planning and codes department at codes@rockportmaine.gov

Comprehensive Plan
Comprehensive Plan is done with the final recommendation from the Comprehensive Planning Committee. This has been a long process with a diligent committee working to ensure the community has a plan that is implementable, non-controversial, and will push the community in the right direction. The committee has received feedback from state agencies and their suggestions for improvement are include in the draft voted upon in June.

The Comprehensive Plan “draft” document is available on the Towns website for review

Harbor Strategic Plan Task Force
The Harbor Strategic Plan is underway, and the Town has engaged Richardson and Associates and WSP Engineering to draft this plan. The consultants will be working on creating a plan for our harbor and how to best combat climate change with our existing assets. There will be public meetings, which will be posted on the Town Calendar and circulated through Civic Ready. The final presentation will be made to the Select Board and is tentatively scheduled for July.

Follow on our website.

Our first public meeting was held on April 1 and you can watch that meeting here.

Next meeting is scheduled for May 29 at 5 p.m. at the Rockport Opera House.

VPI Task Force/Bridge Advisory Group
The Village Partnership Initiative task force has met with the MDOT bridge department, and we will be receiving a bridge and sidewalk on both sides of the new Goose River Bridge. We do not yet have a final design worth sharing at this point, but once MDOT has more final plans and accompanying dates we will upload to our Projects page the details for the public to follow along.

Follow on our website.

Public Works

Road Postings
As of today, all road postings have been removed. Mother Nature has not been helpful in providing us with warm, windy days to dry out our roads, but we are now far enough into the warm season where those issues have subsided.

We appreciated all your patience when we had to close Mt Pleasant Street due to the rain. It is important to try and not create even more damage to the roads if we can, to prevent even longer closures.

6Brush Cutting Season:
Among other areas in town, we will be working in Glen Cove to clean up many dead trees and the mess it leaves us every spring, so please be cautious and aware of your surroundings when our crew is in the area working.

Marge Jones Fields:

The Marge Jones Fields are still closed, but once the road is in condition capable of handling the spring traffic we will open for the season. We expect it will be approximately another two weeks before the fields are open. Please follow our Facebook page for updates as to when the fields are open.

If you would like to plan ahead and reserve the use of a field for this year, email rockportrec@rockportmaine.gov.

Tennis/Pickleball Court Reservation Policy:

• Reservations can be made for a single month/month or an entire season.
• Anytime when the tennis/pickleball court is not reserved it is “first come first serve play."
• The usage fee will be $250 per month, up to $1000 for the entire season. •
• No reservations on Sundays. This day will remain first come, first serve all day. •
• Tennis/pickleball groups that pay the monthly or annual fee may reserve the full court area or half (one tennis court) up to three hours of court time per day each week Monday - Saturday, not to exceed 15 hours total per week. No more than three total hours in a day, and you cannot reserve the same time block for more than 3 days in one week. This allows others to utilize these time slots for first come first serve play.
  
  

Donut Festival

The town is excited to announce the 3rd Annual  Donut Festival will be on June 13 and 14, 2025. Library:We served up 13,410 donuts during our second annual event and we are going even BIGGER in 2025! Save the date!

program attendance, but to borrow materials, you must register for a library card (or present a valid library card from one of the libraries in Maine's Reciprocal Borrowing Program to view the list of participating libraries.

Library Cards: Sometimes it gets lost in the shuffle, but even the most basic items of how our Town operate require a reminder now and again. Our library is free for computer use, browsing, reference, and may be renewed two times unless another borrower has requested the item. You can request renewals in person or by telephone and get confirmation. If you request by sending an
email to rpl@rockport.lib.me.us, we will reply to confirm the renewal or let you know that the item cannot be renewed. You can also renew your borrowed items online.

Free cards are available to all Rockport residents and taxpayers, to all who work in Rockport, and to all children and students in Knox and Waldo counties. Proper ID verifying residency is required. Nonresident cards are available for a $20 annual fee for individuals, and $10 for short-term visitors.

Proper identification required such as a valid driver's license, or photo ID and proof of mailing address. Books, magazines, audio- books, DVDs, and ukuleles circulate for a three-week period.

Book Sale:
We are excited about the first big Friends of the Rockport Public Library Book Sale of the year, happening Friday, April 25, and Saturday April 26. The Friends need YOU to help make it a success! If you would like to volunteer for a few hours to help set-up, run, or break down the book sale, your time and energy would be much appreciated! Stop by the library to sign up for a shift, or all 207-236-3642.

Once again accepting donations of books, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, and puzzles in good condition. They ask that donations be limited to three boxes/bags per person.

Events:
For information on our events, check out the library website.

Fun Contest:
The library is hosting a “NAME THE ROOSTER” contest during the months of March and April. The Rooster is located in the Marine room on the upper level of the library. The sculptor G. Bion Richards will select the winner on April 30th.

Tech Help:

Computers & More:

A staff member is available to assist you with whatever your tech needs are. We can help with anything from basic computer questions to using your iPad with the Maine Download Library.  This free service is available every Thursday at 4 p.m. in the marine room.

The library has a raft of desktops and laptop computers for your use in the building. The desktops are located by the main circulation desk. The laptops are located behind the main circulation desk. If you would like to use a laptop in the building, ask a librarian.

There is also free Wi-Fi throughout the building. No password is required. Simply find the Rockport Public Library's network in your Wi-Fi settings and connect.

We have a copier, a scanner, and a black-and-white printer for public use. Printing and copies cost ten cents per page.

Volunteer Opportunities:

We are often looking for volunteers to assist with shelving, shelf-reading, assisting the Friends of the Library with their book sales, craft prep for children's programs, CD cleaning, and more. If you are an adult, please contact Julia, our Deputy Director at jpierce@rockportmaine.gov or call 207-236-3642.

If you are a teen between ages 14-18 and are interested in volunteering with the library, please contact Stephanie, our Youth Services Librarian at scurcione@rockportmaine.gov or call 207- 236-3642.

Opera House

Events:
For information on our events, please check out the Opera House website.

We also have Yoga or Dance classes several days a week, click here for more information:

Civic Ready:

We encourage all residents to sign up for this, if you are interested in knowing what is happening in the Town of Rockport. What is great about this system is that you decide which types of information you will receive whether it is a reminder when property taxes are due to information on an upcoming event at the library, opera house or when a public works project is happening in your neighborhood; Civic Alert can keep you informed. Those interested can also sign up for alerts on our website.

Maine Water Assistance Program:

This is a federally funded program to help support eligible households in having access to drinking water and wastewater utility services. Households will be required to have water liability to be eligible for the drinking water/wastewater program. To receive an application, you can call 888-623-6762 or email water@mainehousing.org.

Rockport Resource Newsletter:

If you would like to receive the Rockport Resource Newsletter via email you can sign up through our website.