#2022-pbp-townmeetings

Governor Mills is good for Maine, should continue her work
Mon, 09/19/2022 - 11:30am
No one who cares for the health and welfare of Maine or the United States would vote any Republican into office, any office. This is a time for all good people to stand up for Democracy. Healthy Republicans have forsaken the GOP years ago when the party fell in love with the person who receives “love letters” from the dictator of North Korea. And, says, “Putin is a genius”. LePage brags that he was Trump before Trump. Anyone who loves Trump should vote for LePage; they are practically twins...
2022 Annual Rockport Town Meeting
One new Rockport Select Board member gets sworn in, another resigns
Mon, 06/20/2022 - 3:00pm

ROCKPORT — Annual Town Meeting in Rockport drew approximately 70 people to the Rockport Opera House June 15; some were ready to defend certain lines in the budget, others to question and comment, which they did. Still, the town approved 22 warrant articles, including a $1.5 million loan for infrastructure repairs and an $8 million municipal budget. At the Opera House and just before the meeting began, townspeople also learned that Select Board member John Strand had resigned, effective that day...
If refused, citizens plan to hold Sept. 27 special town meeting
Camden citizens make legal request for Montgomery Dam article to be placed before voters in November
Wed, 06/15/2022 - 2:45pm

CAMDEN — Attorney Paul Gibbons, representing the Save the Dam Falls Committee, is asking the Camden Select Board and Camden’s attorney, William Kelly, to place an article before voters in November that proposes saving the Montgomery Dam. Should the town refuse the request, the Save the Dam Falls Committee will hold a special town meeting Sept. 27, which they have a right to do, said Gibbons. State Statute Title 30, Section 2521, stipulates: “ 4. Petition by voters, if select...
Appleton passes all 41 articles on Town Meeting 2022 warrant; elects municipal officers
Wed, 06/15/2022 - 8:30am

APPLETON — Holding their annual town meeting by secret ballot and going to the polls all day June 14 to tend to municipal business, citizens of Appleton approved a budget for the Appleton Village School, agreed to pay their Select Board members $3,000 a year, establish a Revaluation Reserve Fund, sell a 17 acre lot and put to the proceeds to the aforementioned Reserve Fund. Additionally, Appleton voters approved continuing the practice of holding town meeting via secret ballot, as opposed to...
Thomaston Green citizen’s initiative fails
Wed, 06/15/2022 - 8:15am

THOMASTON — Voters in the Town of Thomaston cast ballots in the primary elections June 14 while also deciding on the future of the Thomaston Green.
Lincolnville elects Stephen Hand to Select Board, approves school budget
Tue, 06/14/2022 - 10:30pm

LINCOLNVILLE — Lincolnville voters went June 14, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Lincolnville Central School, to consider two school budgets, and a municipal ballot that features two Select Board candidates — incumbent Jordan Barnett-Parker and Stephen Hand – vying for one open seat. Citizens elected Stephen Hand with 283 votes over incumbent Jordan Barnett-Parker, receiving 178 votes, for a three-year term on the Select Board. At the polls, voters also approved the Lincolnville...
Hope elects Michael Schultz, Charles Weidman to Select Board, Nicholas O’Hara to school committee
Tue, 06/14/2022 - 10:15pm

HOPE — These are the June 14 election results from the Town of Hope.
Union elects Martha Johnston-Nash to Select Board, approves retaining ownership of Thompson Community Center
Tue, 06/14/2022 - 9:30pm

UNION — These are the June 14 election results from the Town of Union.
In close vote, Rockport elects Jim Annis to Select Board, approves zoning changes
Tue, 06/14/2022 - 9:30pm

ROKCPORT — Rockport voters elected Jim Annis to the Select Board, unseating incumbent Denise Munger. The vote was close; Annis had 268 votes and Munger 253. In addition to candidates for Select Board and two other municipal committees, the 2022 Town Meeting warrant in Rockport appeared before votes going to the polls June 14. On June 15, the town will continue its annual town meeting at 7 p.m. in the Rockport Opera House to consider its 2022-2023 budget and other municipal business. On the town...
UPDATED
Camden elects Thomas Hedstrom, Stephanie French to Select Board, says no to Tannery proposal
Tue, 06/14/2022 - 3:30pm

CAMDEN– Except for two articles — 15 and 16 — on the municipal ballot, voters in Camden said yes to all articles on the town’s 2022 Town Meeting Warrant, which included the easing of density in the town’s Land Use Ordinance, and a moratorium on coastal piers. From the unofficial numbers read off by Elections Warden Peter Gross at 8:10 p.m., voters elected Tom Hedstrom, 713 to 675 to replace incumbent Marc Ratner on the Select Board for a three-year term, and voted Stephanie French in for a...
On the issues: Rockport Select Board Candidate Jim Annis
Mon, 06/13/2022 - 11:00pm

On June 14, voters in Rockport will choose one of two candidates — Denise Munger and Jim Annis — to serve a three-year term on the Rockport Select Board. Penobscot Bay Pilot has posed questions to each candidate, providing the opportunity for the public to better understand their position on issues important to the town and region. Here, Candidate Jim Annis discusses his position on various topics. Please provide a biography of yourself and explain why you decided to...
On the issues: Rockport Select Board Candidate Denise Munger
Mon, 06/13/2022 - 11:00pm

On June 14, voters in Rockport will choose one of two candidates — Denise Munger and Jim Annis — to serve a three-year term on the Rockport Select Board. Penobscot Bay Pilot has posed questions to each candidate, providing the opportunity for the public to better understand their position on issues important to the town and region. Here, incumbent Candidate Denise Munger discusses her position on various topics. 1) Please provide a biography of yourself and explain why you...
On the issues: Camden Select Board candidate Marc Ratner
Mon, 06/13/2022 - 7:00pm

On June 14, voters in Camden will elect two candidates to serve on the Camden Select Board. There are two open seats this June, one is a three-year term. Thomas Hedstrom is running against incumbent Marc Ratner for that seat. Camden Select Board Candidates Stephanie French Thomas Hedstrom Robert Lawson Marc Ratner The other seat is a two-year position, and Robert Lawson is running against...
On the issues: Lincolnville Select Board Candidate Jordan Barnett-Parker
Mon, 06/13/2022 - 7:00pm

On June 14, voters in Lincolnville will elect one of two candidates competing for one three-year term on the Lincolnville Select Board. Stephen Hand is running against incumbent Jordan Barnett-Parker for the seat. Penobscot Bay Pilot has posed questions to each candidate, providing the opportunity for the public to better understand their position on issues important to the town and region. Here, Candidate Jordan Barnett-Parker discusses his position on various topics...
On the issues: Camden Select Board candidate Robert Lawson
Mon, 06/13/2022 - 7:00pm

On June 14, voters in Camden will elect two candidates to serve on the Camden Select Board. There are two open seats this June, one is a three-year term, the other a two-year term. Thomas Hedstrom is running against incumbent Marc Ratner for the three-year seat. Robert Lawson is running against Stephanie French for the two-year seat. Camden Select Board Candidates Stephanie French Thomas Hedstrom ...
On the issues: Lincolnville Select Board Candidate Stephen Hand
Mon, 06/13/2022 - 7:00pm

On June 14, voters in Lincolnville will elect one of two candidates competing for one three-year term on the Lincolnville Select Board. Stephen Hand is running against incumbent Jordan Barnett-Parker for the seat. Penobscot Bay Pilot has posed questions to each candidate, providing the opportunity for the public to better understand their position on issues important to the town and region. Here, Candidate Stephen Hand discusses his position on various topics....
On the issues: Camden Select Board candidate Thomas Hedstrom
Mon, 06/13/2022 - 3:00pm

On June 14, voters in Camden will elect two candidates to serve on the Camden Select Board. There are two open seats this June, one is a three-year term. Thomas Hedstrom is running against incumbent Marc Ratner for that seat. The other seat is a two-year position, and Robert Lawson is running against Stephanie French for that seat. Camden Select Board Candidates Stephanie French Thomas Hedstrom Robert Lawson...
Letter to the editor
Cranesport LLC Tannery development not a viable project
Sun, 06/12/2022 - 10:00pm
So much of the recent debate over the Tannery Property has been commercial versus park. I think it’s time to look at the actual Cranesport proposal. However, this should be considered with the warning that you are not being asked to vote on the specific proposal. You are being asked to give the Select Board permission to negotiate a deal with Cranesport. Even those of you that support the proposal have to recognize that you might not get the original plan even if Article 16 passes. At its Jan...
Letter to the editor
Tannery proposal will provide so much to the town
Sun, 06/12/2022 - 9:30pm
The disposition of Tannery Park has gone back and forth for many years. Some people want us to vote No on Articles 15 and 16 in order to save the Farmers’ Market, preserve the trees along Washington Street, and keep the green space for social and recreational activities. Yes, that’s how Tannery Park is used today. But it also has ugly paved and dirt surfaces, weedy areas, and has for quite some time been used to store materials and equipment for various town projects. Let’s be honest - as it is...
In advance of June 14 town meeting vote
Michael Mullins circulates letter, voter information concerning Camden Tannery project proposal
Sat, 06/11/2022 - 12:00pm

CAMDEN — Camden voters have two Tannery-specific warrant articles before them June 14 at annual town meeting, business that is to be voted on at the polls, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the fire station on Washington Street. Warrant articles 15 and 16 have engendered a lot of debate in Camden, as citizens are to decide how to proceed determining the future of the former Apollo Tannery property on Washington Street, which underwent a costly environmental cleanup after the town acquired it it in a 2003...
opinion
The important Camden votes on June 14
Sat, 06/11/2022 - 11:30am
It’s been almost a year since I argued in this blog that we should “ Keep Camden Directly Democratic .” Direct democracy isn’t efficient or easy. But at its best, this bottom-up approach of direct citizens participation through town meetings and citizens committees, of which Camden has been so justifiably proud for so long, can provide a critical path to overcoming the divisiveness that so plagues our contemporary political cultural. It’s our best hope of finding “less polluting and more...
Biker gangs, Uvalde P.D. and the Thomaston Select Board. Same disease, different towns
Tue, 06/07/2022 - 7:30pm

Disrespect for the ideas enshrined in our Constitution can be found in Uvalde, Texas and right here in Thomaston, Maine. This past week, in an effort to minimize damage from what is being described as the greatest dereliction of duty in American policing history, the publicly funded Uvalde Police, lead by the now impossible to locate for comment and newest member of the Uvalde City Council, Chief Pete Arredondo, coordinated with a motorcycle gang to physically prevent reporters for doing their...
Letter to the editor
Are the voters being duped about Thomaston Green?
Tue, 06/07/2022 - 12:45pm
Much has been said and written about the Thomaston Green. The late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan famous saying, “everyone has the right to their own opinion but they do not have the right to their own facts,” seems to have a fit here. What I am referring to is the discussion of having a much needed fire station on the Thomaston Green. Question 4 proponents have repeatedly led the voters to believe this can take place as a part of their warrant article. These statements and inferences are a...
opinion
Tom Hedstrom: ‘Make choices based on what you believe, not what others believe, is best for Camden’
Tue, 06/07/2022 - 12:30pm
June 14, 2022 is an important day for Camden voters. Among other items, we elect two Select Board members, we decide whether to institute Secret Ballots for approving the town budget, we decide whether to substantially change our zoning laws, and we decide whether to keep the old Tannery lot as a town park or sell it to a developer. I have spoken to many Camden residents this Spring, and I have listened to what they have to say about these proposed changes and more. The general consensus seems...
letter to the editor
The Thomaston Green
Mon, 06/06/2022 - 7:15pm
On June 14, Thomaston voters will choose between Articles 3 and 4 on the town warrant. Passage of Article 3 will “allow the Town to determine the future use” of the Thomaston Green. Passage of Article 4 will “permanently dedicate the 15.6-acre parcel for use as a public park for recreational and community events and related infrastructure.” The Yes-on-4 folks appear concerned that the town will not continue to preserve a significant portion of the site as green space for use by the community...
letter to the editor
Vote for Marc Ratner for Camden Select Board
Sun, 06/05/2022 - 9:30pm
We ask you to vote for Marc Ratner for Camden Selectboard member. He has worked on Board for two terms, understands the workings of the Town of Camden intimately, the eccentricities and details, and has a broad overview of what is needed, both in infrastructure and the human systems. He works, with respect and devotion, with several town committees and the particular town problems that need attention, with considerable success, He is consistant and judicious, fiscally careful, transparent, with...
letter to the editor
Voting for continuity on the Rockport Select Board
Sun, 06/05/2022 - 8:30am
I am writing in support of Denise Munger for another term on the Rockport Select Board. It has been a pleasure to get to know Denise through her work with the town of Rockport over the past three years. I have been nothing short of impressed with her enthusiasm in her role on the Board and dedication to the people of Rockport. Denise values input from Rockport residents and is open and responsive to community concerns. She not only serves on the Select Board but on a variety of other nonprofit...
letter to the editor
Jordan Barnett-Parker demonstrates courage for inquiry, leadership
Fri, 06/03/2022 - 11:15am
It is fascinating to begin to become acquainted with some of Lincolnvillle’s town boards and committees. I am impressed with the many individuals who dedicate their time, and I have found it refreshing to see that town business can actually be conducted with civility and good humor, notably with the assistance of an excellent town administrator. But I most appreciate those few individuals who demonstrate the courage for inquiry and leadership. Jordan Barnett-Parker is one of those few, and I am...
letter to the editor
Jim Annis: The right person, in the right place, at the right time
Thu, 06/02/2022 - 8:30pm
Mail-in ballots are currently available at the Rockport Town Office, and the town election is June 14. We all have the amazing opportunity to elect Jim Annis to our Select Board, and what an opportunity it is! Jim was raised in Rockport, and his children reside here as well. He had served on our Board for 15 years in the recent past. Besides being very much in tune with the various needs of Rockport, Jim is a gentleman who knows how to treat our citizens with respect and honesty, whether they...
Vote YES on Question 3 and NO on Question 4 on the Thomaston Town Meeting ballot
Thu, 06/02/2022 - 8:15pm
The ballot questions about Thomaston Green have confused many and created doubt in the minds of some. Be assured that the “Green” is NOT in danger of being developed and lost to public enjoyment. The open space to the south of the entry road into the former State Prison site will be preserved and never developed. In addition, the access to that site will forever offer a tree-lined gateway into the property, connecting to Route 1. Thomaston has many parks and open spaces protected from...
Expand the electoral process to as many participants as possible
Thu, 06/02/2022 - 8:15pm
As a Green Independent Party House of Representatives candidate, I urged Governor Janet Mills to sign the open primary bill passed by this year’s legislature. LD 231 became law without her signature in April. Voters who are not enrolled in a party will be able to vote in primary elections starting in 2024. However voters in my district don’t have to wait until 2024 to cast a primary vote because the Maine Green Independent Party has allowed unenrolled voters to participate in its primaries for...
Support Jordan Barnett-Parker for Lincolnville Select Board
Thu, 06/02/2022 - 7:45pm
Back in December of 2020, I supported Jordan Barnett-Parker running for the Lincolnville Select Board as I thought that we needed new people to be on this board. One of the things central to Jordan’s service to the town is that he has an open door when it comes to listening to the needs and concerns of the people of this town. He was instrumental in obtaining life and injury insurance for our volunteer fire department, pushing for the publishing of the select board information packet to the...
Letter to the editor
Vote for Denise Munger for Rockport Select Board
Wed, 06/01/2022 - 7:45pm
The work that Denise Munger has done as a Rockport Select Board member has been spectacular. I have known and worked with Denise on important issues for Rockport. Denise has worked tirelessly for Rockport and all its citizens. Committees like Legacy Rockport, the Ordinance Review Committee and the Rockport’s RES site are just a few of her involved efforts. Denise Munger is a hard worker on many issues that are important to Rockport and its citizens. With Legacy Rockport, she immediately...
Letter to the editor
Jordan Barnett-Parker has earned his second term
Wed, 06/01/2022 - 7:00pm
We will cast our ballots to re-elect Jordan Barnett-Parker to the Lincolnville Select Board this month. Jordan brings positive, diligent energy to the Select Board. He connected with every school board member, successfully advocating for the return of a quarter-million-dollar surplus to the town, reducing the overall tax burden. His creative thinking has the town looking to set aside funds for future projects, reducing debt. Jordan is approachable and responsive. It’s easy to reach him because...
Lette to the editor
Join me in voting for Denise Munger for Rockport Select Board
Wed, 06/01/2022 - 7:00pm
I am writing in support of Denise Munger for the Rockport Select Board. I know Denise through my work on the Rockport Budget Committee and the Library Committee. She listens to comments from committee members and the public on issues facing the town. She carefully evaluates the information provided and makes decisions that will best serve the town and its residents. Continuity on the Select Board is important; we need people who are familiar with the difficult issues that have faced Rockport...
Letter to the editor
Retain Union’s Thompson Community Center by the town, for the town
Tue, 05/31/2022 - 8:45pm
On June 14, we residents of Union will vote on the future of the Thompson Community Center. Our options are, essentially, to keep the building in town hands, for the benefit of the town, to sell the building to a 3 rd party - either for senior housing, or some other purpose - or to demolish it. As the board chair of the Thompson Memorial Association - the organization that has been managing the building since its previous operators left without notice in December 2021 - I’ve learned just about...
Letter to the editor
Vote no vote on Camden Town Meeting Articles 15 and 16
Tue, 05/31/2022 - 8:30pm
Tannery Park should remain...a park. I don't live in Camden, but I have family there, and they love the open space and the farmers market on this site. Please don't turn this into a private development. There's enough of that already in town. Please don't put profits over people. I hope Camden voters will go to the polls on June 14 and vote NO on Articles 15 and 16. I have never heard people complain that a community has too many parks, or too much open space. But I've often heard the opposite...
opinion
Seeking Clarity on Tannery Park?
Wed, 05/18/2022 - 3:00pm

Should the town of Camden continue to own the Apollo Tannery property along the Megunticook River on Washington Street and keep it for a farmers’ market and park? Or should that property be sold for commercial development? It seems that’s the question-behind-the-question we Camden voters will be answering with our votes on Articles 15, 16 and 17 of the town warrant on June 14. Unfortunately, it isn’t a question that will appear on the ballot. The wording of Articles 15, 16 and 17 deals with a...
Union Sidelines: Town meeting warrant, property assessment
Wed, 04/13/2022 - 1:30pm

The following municipal newsletter, Sidelines, is circulated courtesy of the Union Select Board, and serves to update Union citizens about governmental news in town. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the Sidelines are the individual thoughts of the Select Board member. The “Main Event” at the April 5 Select Board meeting was the finalization of the Town Warrants for our upcoming election. The warrant articles include: Article 3, Pullen Fund: We will vote on whether to accept the...
U.S. Cellular pushes for Rockport ordinance change to erect 145-foot monopole
Tue, 03/22/2022 - 11:45am

ROCKPORT — More than a decade ago, former Rockport Town Attorney Paul Gibbons had the foresight to craft a wireless telecommunications ordinance that stipulated where in Rockport cell towers and facilities could be built, and the conditions by which their approval would be considered. Voters approved that land use ordinance amendment, and any new cell towers were confined to an area within 1,000 feet of the top of Ragged Mountain, where a cluster of towers now sit. This year,...
Three ordinance amendments on June Town Meeting warrant concerning density
Camden proposes easing density rules to encourage workforce, affordable housing
Fri, 03/18/2022 - 3:00pm

CAMDEN —The Camden Town Office and the Select Board have acknowledged for several years the deficit of workforce and affordable housing in Camden, as the hot real estate market raised the price tags on existing homes, and the available stock shrunk to almost nothing. (As of March 18, 2022, there were five active house listings and seven vacant parcels in Camden for sale). It’s not a new issue, but the pandemic accelerated the rush on local housing purchases, as the entire state experienced a...
Camden-Rockport, Five Town CSD to hold public input budget meetings March 21
Fri, 03/18/2022 - 1:00pm

Monday evening, March 21, the Camden Rockport Schools and Five Town CSD School Boards will hold Public Input Budget Meetings to present the 2022-2023 School Budgets to the community. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide input before the School Boards approve the budgets in April. Voters will consider the budgets at the polls at annual June Town Meeting. Both meetings will be held in Strom Auditorium, Camden Hills Regional High School, Rockport The Camden Rockport...