MAINELY RICHMOND 2008.pdf · Inside this issue: Economic & Community Development 3 Code Enforcement...

HALF A MILLION DOLLARS RICHER

MAINELY RICHMOND

hind the Ames Mill and up towards Front Street, creating parking im-provements on Front Street; Area 4:Sidewalk extension along the west side of Front Street from Main Street to Tulip Street. Area 5: Lane Field to include pocket park im-provements and sidewalks from Kimball Street to the Alexander Reed Road to Main Street. Soon Richmond will be one of the most walkable communities in Maine. The Downtown project will take place beginning June 2008 through September 2009.

The Town of Richmond was approved for a State of Maine 2008 CDBG Downtown Revitalization Grant for $500,000.00. With a community match of $210,000.00 along with additional private investment, the town will realize about $1 Million in village improvements. The purpose of the grant is to continue streetscape, sidewalks, crosswalks, parking and street light improvements in the vil-lage. There are five zones in which the Downtown Revitalization Im-provements will take place. Area 1: Streetscape improvements along

Main Street from the RBMC to Post Office, consisting of gateway en-hancements in the RBMC area in-cluding tree plantings and landscap-ing; Area 2: Streetscape and Cross-walks along Main Street from the Post Office to Front Street. Improve-ments would consist of crosswalks, adding trash cans and benches along Main Street and new side-walks on Pleasant Street between Main and Gardiner Streets ; Area 3: Streetscape and Parking lots along Front Street from Town Landing to Ames Building to extend lighting be-

Town of Richmond May 2008

Inside this issue:

Economic & Community Development 3

Code Enforcement 4

Down Memory Lane 5

Senior Notes for Senior Folks 6-7

Community Calendar 8-9

Harbormaster 10

The Selectmen’s Corner 12

I-295 Southbound Closure Info 12-13

Umberhine Library 14

Budget Comparison 15

Important School Information 16

TOWN OF RICHMOND

26 Gardiner Street

P.O. Box 159

Richmond, Maine 04357

(207) 737-4305

TOWN OFFICE HOURS

MONDAY-FRIDAY

8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Last Thursday of the Month

8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

www.richmondmaine.com

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE

737-2233

MAINELY RICHMOND

strategy this summer. This in-cludes Richmond in many of its activities and programs.

Business attraction is alive and well. Richmond was featured in the national magazine, “Business Xpansion Journal” in the article: “Maine: Chang-ing and Rearranging Re-sources.”-April 2008.

We welcome our newest com-pany to Richmond: Hodgdon Yachts, Inc. along with new businesses; The Texas Barbe-que Co., and Bakers Restau-rant.

RICHMOND RENAISSANCE

Look for these buildings to have a new look this summer with more facades to follow! The town’s Downtown Revitali-zation is now in full swing. Significant improvements will take place this summer through fall 2009. Other ac-tivities are happening as well. There are several economic

development programs that can have a positive impact for Richmond over the next few years, including the River Bond Initiative, Maine Technology Institute and the Economic De-velopment Administration. The Midcoast Region Economic De-velopment District (MCEDD) will complete its comprehen-sive economic development

Welcome Businesses!

More Façade Renovations on the Way!

ECONOMIC & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BY: DARRYL STERLING

MAY 2008

CODE ENFORCEMENT BY: DOUG MARBLE

MAINELY RICHMOND

This spring the Code Office has been busy with new projects coming in for permits. I figured for this month’s newsletter, I would list building codes in Richmond that effect building construction.

The Town of Richmond enforces the International Building Code, the International Residential Code and the International Existing Building Code.

Residential Construction and design standards for One and Two Family Homes

Energy Standards for the building envelope; thermal performance:

Ceilings R-49/Walls R-21/Floors R-21/Basement Walls R-11/Crawl Space R-20

Slab perimeter and depth R-13, 4ft./Maximum Glazing U-factor .35

Egress Emergency Escape Standards: Exit door 3.0’-6’8”/Stairs 36” wide, 7 3/4 rise max, 10” tread depth, 6’8” headroom/Handrail height 34”-38”/gaurds on decks required when over 30” off the ground, guard to be 36” tall, withstand 200lbs force pushing on top rail/Egress window, one in every bedroom, open area must be 5.7 square feet, sill within 44” of finished floor, exterior sill within 20’ of grade. Hallways must be 3ft. Wide minimum.

Ground Snow Load: 60lbs./square foot

Basic Wind Speed: 90mph, 3-second gust, 33ft., above the ground

Garages attached to a house (dwelling unit): Doors opening into the dwelling space must be 1 3/8 inches thick and either solid core wood/steel or honeycomb core steel or a 20 minute fire rated door. Separation required from house and attic area with 1/2 inch gypsum board applied to garage side taped once. If garage is below a living area the ceiling of the garage must have 5/8 inch type X gypsum board applied to the garage side of the ceiling and the walls supporting the floor of the living area shall be cov-ered with 1/2 inch gypsum board applied to the garage side. Garage floors must be sloped 1/4 inch per foot towards the garage doors.

I also want to keep you informed of changes on the horizon for the Town. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Shoreland Zoning unit has mandated that all Towns in Maine update our current Shoreland Zoning Ordinances by Town Meeting 2009. The new Shoreland Ordi-nance brings with it a “New Map!” The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W) moderate to high value habitat designations. These areas have been identified by the IF & W as significant habitat areas. I have a large map in my office detailing these areas which are re-quired by law to be zoned Resource Protection. Feel free to come check this map out anytime during normal hours. Enjoy this well deserved warm weather!-Doug Marble, CEO

DOWN MEMORY LANE

MAY 2008

JEREMY PURINGTON

ASSOCIATE BROKER

The Marcia Buker School third grade class visited the Town Sponsored Senior Center in April to talk about what it was like in Richmond and their experiences as a child growing up during World War II. Some of the ques-tions asked were “who was the Governor of Maine?” .....and who was “the President of United States?” The Seniors emphasized on their clothing that was worn, “no jeans” and how they were outside all the time playing such games as marbles, hop scotch, double dutch and in the winter they would ice skate and go slid-ing using cardboard if they didn’t have a sled. They listened to the radio for family entertainment s u c h s h o w s a s t h e “Intersanctom.” Some of the sen-iors attended Emerson Grammar School and the kids were amazed to hear some of the seniors actu-ally had Marcia Buker for their teacher who was well known for “spanking.” It was a wonderful visit and a great conservation for all!

JUNE 15TH-Our Annual Picnic will be held at the Senior Center 1:00-5:00p.m., Hamburgers, Hot-dogs and soft drinks will be provided. Please bring a dish to share with others. Social time fol-lows the picnic. This is open to all seniors, so please join us for a fun filled day.

JUNE 21ST– Mystery Ride-Cost: $9.00, We will leave the Senior Center at 8:30a.m. This is one of our most popular activities; join us this year for a fun filled day. We will be traveling to a differ-ent area of our State this year. There will be some walking involved so please wear comfortable shoes. Reservations must be made by June 16th.

June 24TH-10:00a.m.-Joanne Rosenthal from the area agency on aging will be here to give an overview on resources available to you in the vent a family member becomes ill.

JUNE 26TH-Gaslight Theater in Hallowell, we will leave the center at 6:30p.m.-Car pooling event. Pay when you get there. Please call the center as soon as possible (737-2161) to let us know if you plan to attend. Gaslight Theater begins to take reservations the first of June for this show. Please be prompt about calling us to reserve seats for this show.

JULY ACTIVITIES JULY 19TH-Duck Boat Ride, leave the Senior Center at 10:15 a.m.-Cost $18.00. This is a 65 minute adventure through Portland and the Old Port and then drive into the waters of Casco Bay to view Portland’s working waterfront, Calendar Island and Marine Wildlife. Cost of lunch is on you. Restaurant of choice to be announced. Reservations must be made by July 14th.

JULY 26th– Richmond Days-The Senior Center will be open all day this year. Our events will in-clude an indoor lawn sale held at the Senior Center, Raffle and a food sale. Please drop by and say “Hello.”

SENIOR NOTES FOR SENIOR FOLKS

JUNE ACTIVITIES

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AUGUST ACTIVITIES AUGUST 5TH– 10:00a.m. Attorney Victoria Powers from Freeport will be at the Senior Center to discuss Senior Issues. Victoria will speak to us about resources and legal issues that are avail-able to us in the event a senior family member becomes ill.

AUGUST 9TH– Two hour cruise from Boothbay Harbor to Damariscove Island-Cost: $20.00-Botanical Garden Cost: $6.00-Leave the Senior Center at 8:15a.m., after the cruise we will eat in Boothbay Harbor at the restaurant of your choice or you may bring a lunch. We will allow 1 1/2 hours in Boothbay before we leave for a tour of the Botanical Gardens. Please wear comfortable shoes and bring a jacket. This is a rain or shine trip. Reservations must be made by July 28th

High Scores for Bridge

Week 1-Claire Sidelinger

Week 2-Buelah Dube

Week 3-Gerry Skinner

We are looking for Bridge Players or those who would like to learn to play Bridge. You may contact Buelah Dube at 737-8734 or Pat McNeil at 737-8577 for further informa-tion.

SENIOR NOTES FOR SENIOR FOLKS

MAY 2008

AUGUST ACTIVITIES CONTINUED... AUGUST 16TH– Portland Sea Dogs Game-Reserved seating cost $7.00. We must have at least 20 people sign up to make this trip possible. Reservations must be made by June 13th.

AUGUST 23RD-Monmouth Playhouse-Arsenic and Old Lace-Cost $19.80. Bus leaves the Senior Center at 6:00p.m. Reservations must be made by July 14th.

COST OF ALL ACTIVITIES ARE DUE AT THE TIME OF RESERVATIONS

WE MUST HAVE AT LEAST 20 PEOPLE SIGN UP FOR EACH TRIP TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE

ONGOING ACTIVITIESONGOING ACTIVITIES

Bridge Tutors Mondays

9:30 a.m. Learn the art of playing bridge

Planning Meeting

The first Monday of each month 9:30 a.m.

Bring your Ideas.

Game Day Wednesday

12:30– to closing

Refreshments Served

Pot Luck Dinners

Once a month

Thursday afternoon

Bridge Ladies

Janet Clements quilting classes will start again this fall if there is an interest. Thank you, Janet!

SENIOR CENTER HOURS

MONDAY-TUESDAY 8:00-1:00P.M.

WEDNESDAY 8:00-3:30P.M.

CONTACT: BETTY PRATT AT 737-2161

EMAIL: [email protected] The Town Sponsored Senior Citizen Program is open to all

Senior Citizens in our Community.

We invite you all to join us.

Schedule of Events • TAXES DUE MAY 10, 2008

• 5-12-08 Fire Dept 6:30p

• 5-12-08 Economic Development 7:00p

• 5-13-08 Planning Board 6:00p

1. Public Hearing on Waterfront Zone Change

2. Public Hearing on Alexander Reed/Plummer Road Subdivision-Jeremy Purington

• 5-14-08 School Comm. 7:00p

• 5-19-08 Fire Dept 6:30p

• 5-21-08 School Comm. 7:00p

• 5-22-08 Richmond Days 5:00p

• 5-22-08 Budget Comm. 6:00p

• 5-22-08 Selectmen 7:00p

• 5-26-08 Memorial Day Town Office Closed


• 5-28-08 School Comm. 7:00p

Schedule of Events • 5-5-08 Fire Dept. 6:30p

• 5-5-08 Waterfront Comm. 7:00p

• 5-6-08 Loan Board 6:00p

• 5-7-08 School Comm. 7:00p


• 5-8-08 Budget Comm. 6:00p


MAINELY RICHMOND

Port City Auto turns 20!

The Richmond Board of Select-men presented Port City Auto with a proclamation for residing and being in business for twenty years in Richmond!

From Left to Right: Selectman Seth Goodall, Owner David Wescott and Son Mark Wescott and Town Manager Thomas For-tier.

May 2008 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

UPDATE FROM PUBLIC WORKS By: Dick Lachance

June 2008 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30

Schedule of Events • 6-2-08 Fire Department 6:30p

• 6-2-08 Waterfront Comm. 7:00p

• 6-3-08 TOWN MEETING 6:00p

• 6-4-8 TOWN MEETING 6:00p



• 6-9-08 Economic Development 7:00p

Schedule of Events • 6-9-08 Fire Department 6:30p


• 6-11-08 School Comm. 7:00p

• 6-16-08 Fire Department 6:30p

• 6-18-08 School Comm. 7:00p



• 6-23-08 Fire Department 6:30p


Town Meeting will be held at the Richmond High School

Fire Department Meetings are held at the Central Fire Station.

School Committee Meetings are held at the Richmond High School

The following is an update on this years schedule of projects for the Public Works Department. By the time this goes to press we should have finished our spring sweeping and clean up of the sidewalks and streets.

• We are now fully involved with the Alexander Reed Road project with the State of Maine. This project is located at the intersection of the Alexander Reed and Plummer Road which is scheduled to be completed the first week of June.

• The waterfront docks will be installed the third week of May.

• Our main project for this summer is located from the Rosebarry’s Farm to Route #201 to be the grinding and paving of the Beedle Road. Project starting date to be the third week in June providing budgeting is passed at town meeting.

• We are also trying to upgrade our pick-up truck and one of the plow vehicles.

Hope to see everyone at town meeting to support our needs. I will do my best to keep the people informed of our progress through the summer. For more information Dick LaChance can be reached at 737-2035 or email at: [email protected]

MAY 2008

NEWS FROM THE HARBORMASTER By: John McMullen

MAINELY RICHMOND

the U.S. Power Squadron and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Also con-sider getting a free Vessel Safety Check from either the Power Squadron or the Auxiliary. A trained inspector will go over your boat with you and help de-termine if you have any safety deficiencies in your equipment and make recommendations for improvement. If you pass the check you will be awarded a sticker that can get you a dis-count on your boat insurance and some discounts at local marine retailers.

Have a safe and happy boating season and don’t forget to wear your life preserver!

Spring is hear, summer is just around the corner and the boating and fishing seasons are almost upon us. This is my first opportunity to introduce myself as the new Harbormaster for Richmond.

As your new Harbormaster my goals will be boater education and safety. Some new projects on the horizon for the Richmond Harbor are the upgrade and manning of the park pump-out station and new channel markers for the harbor. The pump-out station will be open this summer and will have set hours of opera-tion. New channel markers have been purchased and will be in-

stalled this summer. I’m also concentrating on identifying all harbor moorings and having them marked by name and num-ber. This will help us in better organizing the harbor in order to provide additional moorings. Anyone desiring in a mooring should contact me through the town office or at [email protected]. I’d also like to refer you to my new web page at the town website where you will find additional information and boating links.

If you haven’t already, consider taking a boating safety course this year. They are available lo-cally for a nominal fee from both

Online Services Burning Permits: www.maine.gov/informe/municipal/index.htm

Certified Copies of Marriage, Birth & Death Certificates:www.vitalchek.com/?clicked=1

Dog Licenses: www.maine.gov/informe/municipal/index.htm

Driver’s Licenses or State ID Cards (renewal or replacements): www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/licenses/index.html

Hunting & Fishing Licenses: www.state.me.us/ifw

Motor Vehicle Forms: www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/forms/index.html

Motor Vehicle Registrations (renewals only): www.sosonline.org

Motor Vehicle Registration Reminders: www.informe.org/cgi-bin/bmv/rapid-renewal/rr-remindme

Pine Tree Legal: www.pinetreelegal.com/

Property Tax Exemption Forms:www.state.me.us/revenue/forms/property/appsformspubs.htm

Property Tax Payments:www.officialpayments.com

Property Tax & Rent Refund & BETR Applications:

www.state.me.us/revenue/propertytax/propertytaxbenefits/propertytaxbenefits.htm

Snowmobile & ATV Registrations (renewals only):www.state.me.us/ifw

State Statues (Law Books)::www.maine.gov/portal/government/law.html

Unclaimed Money: www.maine.gov/treasurer/unclaimed_property/search/

tion more proficiently at work, enjoy my home life with my family to a greater degree and to simply enjoy life with less interruption of the pain and suffering that has plagued me for half of my life. I owe this drastic improvement to Dr. James LaVallee and his staff for the quality of excellence they lend their practice and to their patients.

-Laura

I have been going to LaValle Chiropractic since September 2007 for chronic migraines. This condition has plagued me for over 20 years with very lit-tle to no lasting results. My migraines had gotten to the point where I was suffering 4 to 5 days a week which would inhibit my home life, social life and work environment to the point of becoming disabling. Medications prescribed for migraine relief would work for a couple of months but would eventually decrease in their effectiveness or the side ef-fects would be just as dis-abling as the migraines them-selves.

I was immediately impressed with the practices of Dr. James LaVallee and his staff. It ap-pears that Chiropractic care involves not only the relief of pain but works on the preface of total wellness for the entire mind and body. This preface fit perfectly what a migraine

sufferer would require as well as mindset and way of life.

Each of my visits begins with a therapeutic massage that re-laxes the muscles and also re-lieves the stress and tension that is known to produce my migraines. This practice has been equally as important, in my opinion, as the manipula-tion process performed by Dr. LaVallee. The therapeutic massage, in conjunction with manipulation, has also made a dramatic improvement in my right shoulder that other doc-tor’s had advised would only improve with surgery. Not only has the shoulder im-proved but is virtually back to full mobility and range of mo-tion with limited pain (which is still decreasing weekly).

In my opinion chiropractic care has made a huge, drastic, difference not only in my life but to the QUALITY of my life. Without the constant pain from migraines I am able to func-

MAY 2008

“In my opinion chiropractic care has

made a huge, drastic, difference not only in my life but the QUALITY

of my life.”

LaVallee Chiropractic & Family Wellness Dr. James LaVallee

85 Stone Street

Augusta, ME 04330

207-623-1111

2 Main Street

Richmond, ME 04357

207-737-2555

207-623-9990 (Fax)

I-295 Southbound Closure and Route 201 Detour to Begin June 15th By: Seth Goodall, Richmond Selectboard ([email protected] or 737-4797)

Topsham. MaineDOT is work-ing with the Maine Turnpike Authority to encourage through traffic, such as truck-ers, to travel on the Tunpike. It is estimated that at least a third of the traffic will choose the turnpike over the I-295 de-tour. Traffic updates will be constant and a large media campaign will occur to inform motorists, affected residents and businesses. Complete, up-to-date information is available at:

www.MaineDOT.gov.

MaineDOT will close the I-295 Southbound lanes from Gar-diner to Topsham this summer and detour traffic onto Route 201. The project is necessary due to I-295’s rapidly deterio-rating concrete surface. All traffic will be detoured at Exit 49 in Gardiner and proceed down Route 201 through Rich-mond before merging back onto I-295 on a temporary on-ramp where Route 201 crosses the highway in Topsham. The project is scheduled to begin June 15th and end in late Au-gust. Due to voiced concerns

at the Richmond public forum and additional meetings, MaineDOT will make Route 201 look and feel like a con-struction zone. Traffic will be slowed, a traffic light will be installed at the intersection of Route 197, there will be a heavy police presence, and response plans will be imple-mented for emergencies and motorist assistance.

It is estimated 13,500 vehicles will travel southbound on Route 201, which is similar to traffic counts on Route 196 in

The Selectmen’s Corner By: Burt Batty

MAINELY RICHMOND

provide early information to the people of Richmond.

On May 13, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. in the Town Hall, the Planning Board will hold a public hear-ing on a zoning change to en-able shoreline and park prop-erty improvements. Learn more about this proposal by attending the hearing. Also, the Waterfront Park Commit-tee will be proposing changes to the Richmond Harbor Ordi-nances. These changes will be presented for a vote at the June Town Meeting on a spe-cial Warrant Article.

Please mark your calendar for 6:00 p.m. on June 3rd and 4th for annual Town Meeting! This is the most important meeting of the year that gives you the opportunity to vote on the Town and School Budgets. Appropriated funds provide important services for the schools, Town Office opera-tions, police, fire, library, roads and summer programs to mention just a few. Every vote counts, so please attend your Town Meeting.

On Thursday, April 17th thirty-six (36) residents attended a

special Public Information Session at the High School to hear preliminary information about the status of the Re-valuation of Richmond proper-ties together with drafts of the School and Town operational budgets for the 2008-09 fiscal year. Special thanks are ex-tended to Martha Witham, Su-perintendent of Schools; Tho-mas Fortier, Town Manager; and Bob Gingras of Parker Ap-praisal for taking the time to present their information and answer questions. This was a great outreach program to

and residents along the detour.

Do you anticipate Route 24 will be used by some as an alter-nate route, instead of 201?

It is likely that there will be some additional use of Route 24 by lo-cal commuters, but it is not an-ticipated as an attractive alterna-tive for through commuters.

Why not establish two-way traf-fic in the northbound lanes, r a t h e r t h a n d e t o u r i n g southbound traffic to Route 201?

It is not feasible for this section of I-295. The northbound lanes are not designed for vehicles to safely travel in the Southbound direction due to narrow shoulder widths on the northbound passing lane. Fun-neling the current volume of traffic from two lanes into one lane will create back-ups in both directions at peak traffic times. The Duration of the project would increase sig-nificantly. The current structure of northbound lanes will deteriorate faster and increase safety risks and unplanned closure of the northbound lanes.

Why not close one southbound lane and keep the adjacent lane open, rather than detouring southbound traffic to Route 201?

The most important consideration is safety-the larger number of vehi-cles in one lane will increase the risk of crashes and resulting de-lays, as well as place construction workers at a much higher risk. “One-laning” also makes access for emergency vehicles difficult, as a breakdown could obstruct their passage.

What about the northbound lanes? Will they be done next year?

The northbound lanes suffer from the same deteriorating condition.

The northbound lanes will need to be addressed in the near fu-ture when funding is available.

Conduct the project in seg-ments?

That scenario was thoroughly studied and not selected based on safety, time and cost, and un-favorable impacts to motorists

Frequently Asked Questions (from MaineDOT)

MAY 2008

ADULT

Compulsion

Hollywood Crows

The Winding Ways Quilt

The Day I ate Whatever I Wanted

Quick Sand and I am Not My Breast Cancer

Please come in and check out the rest of our newest books!

CHILDREN

Dark Day in the Deep Blue Sea

Where’s My Mom

Stink and the Great Guinea Pig

Stink and the World’s Worst Super Stinky Sneakers.

YOUNG ADULTS

Outcast

Briana’s Gift

Letting Go of Lisa

My Secret Boyfriend

Again we have people who are volunteering at the library. Marjorie Poulin and Barbara Um-berhine have learned the basics on our office computer and filled in for Donna and Betty when they were away. Mandy Letentdre, Sara Crocker, Ellen Kroot, Beth Anan and Pastor Tom Frey are also volunteers and have been very helpful with ideas and sug-gestions. Carol Smith has agreed to head up our volunteer staff, she was presented with the Angel Volunteer Award along with a halo to wear for the eve-ning. Who will get the next award? Watch for the name in the next newsletter. If you have the time we would love to have you join us!

We are getting toward the end of the story hour time and are plan-

ning a special end of the year special for the kids. We are in the process of planning the sum-mer reading program that takes place in August. The theme this year is “Catch the Reading Bug.” Lots of creepy crawlies will be around as well as a magi-cian who will turn bugs into all kinds of things.

More Volunteers!!!

convenient to you. This project needs to have more than a handful of people making deci-sions for the Town.

• Monday May 19th 10:00a.m.

• Monday May 19th 2:00p.m.

• Monday May 19th 6:30p.m.

• Wednesday May 21st 6:30p

Meetings to take place at the Town Office Meeting Room.

The Trustees of the Umber-hine Library have planned a series of meetings at the Town Hall to share with you the de-tails of the new library and to ask you to share with us your concerns and your hopes about what the new library should offer. We understand that there are people in town who don’t presently use the library, but we are hoping that

with your help, we can create a space and services which will offer something for every-one, including a meeting space, and adult reading room, a sunny space for our children to interact and dis-cover new ideas, a place for teens to come after school and plenty of computers for public use. Please take the time to join us at one of the meetings

Umberhine Library News….

Carol Smith presented with

the first “Angel Volunteer”

Award. Carol has agreed

to head up the volunteer

staff.

MAY 2008

Town Budget Comparison

MAINELY RICHMOND

Dept Account 06-07 Budget 07-08 Budget 08-09

Proposed 11 ADMINISTRATION 200,497$ 223,145$ 238,977$

12 PROFESSIONAL SVCS 26,049$ 18,725$ 19,265$

15 BOARDS & COMM 22,800$ 21,150$ 21,302$

22 FIRE 71,540$ 71,700$ 78,460$

24 TOWN FUEL 48,925$ 48,400$ 55,000$

26 PUBLIC WORKS 272,253$ 270,382$ 301,405$

33 POLICE 237,003$ 248,116$ 256,390$

34 ANIMAL CONTROL 12,172$ 7,284$ 7,800$

36 PUBLIC SAFETY 107,050$ 105,105$ 107,000$

43 C.E.O. 26,154$ 38,100$ 40,040$

50 PARKS & CEMETERIES 7,120$ 9,230$ 9,900$

51 SUMMER REC 20,086$ 20,686$ 20,052$

52 SUMMER LEAGUE 10,990$ 10,878$ 10,150$

53 SENIOR SERVICES 11,275$ 10,045$ 11,340$

60 SOLID WASTE 21,377$ 17,744$ 19,831$

81 P.S.A. 25,617$ 21,029$ 10,515$

82 LIBRARY 30,000$ 30,000$ 30,000$

83 INTERGOVERNMENTAL 474,655$ 450,360$ 437,788$

84 BENEFITS 177,447$ 205,200$ 210,200$

85 INSURANCE 81,300$ 72,600$ 68,200$

86 GENERAL ASSIST 11,800$ 6,800$ 6,100$

89 DEBT PAYMENT 308,059$ 484,885$ 487,504$

90 CAPITAL 195,630$ 41,165$ 65,800$

96 LEGAL 18,500$ 5,000$ 5,000$

97 RESERVE 7,000$ 17,500$ 13,000$

TOTAL $ 2,425,299 $ 2,455,229 $ 2,531,019

PROPOSED DEBT 340,490$ 191,375$ 382,294$

TIF -$ -$ -$

County Tax 467,553$ 443,001$ 443,001$

There are two very important issues that will be placed before the Richmond voters on June 10, 2008. The first is a change in how the school budget is approved and the other is School Consoli-dation. Although they will appear on the ballot at the same time, it is important for the Richmond voters to understand the difference between these two issues.

Changes In The School Budget Approval Process- As a result of recent legislation, school budgets throughout the state will require a two step process for approval. The first step is the same for Richmond as in the past, the Town Meeting. At the Town Meeting scheduled for June 3 and 4, voters will decide on 11 specific cost centers or expense categories. Most of these will be very familiar to the the Richmond citizens. The voters will ultimately decide on a bottom line budget figure at the Town Meeting. The next step, the Budget Validation Referendum, is new. On June 10, voters will be asked to go to the polls to approve the budget that was decided on at the Town Meeting.

The wording of the warrant article is “Do you favor approving the Richmond School Department budget for the upcoming school year that was adopted at the latest town meeting and that in-cludes locally raised funds that exceed the required local contribution as described in the Es-sential Programs and Services Funding Act?”. A “yes” vote allows additional funds to be raised for PK-12 public education. A “no” vote means additional funds cannot be raised for PK-12 pub-lic education.

If this article does not pass, the School Committee and Town must hold another Town Meeting at least 10 days after the referendum to vote on another budget. Within 10 days a second budget validation referendum will be conducted with the same wording as described above. This proc-ess will continue until a school budget is approved at both a Town Meeting and a referendum vote.

School Consolidation- Also on June 10, Richmond voters will asked to vote on whether or not they wish for Richmond to join the Kennebec Intra-District School Unit. (KIDS RSU). KIDS RSU is to be comprised of the towns of Dresden, Farmingdale, Hallowell, Monmouth and Richmond. A Regional Planning Committee has been meeting since February to develop the guidelines for the new district. There have been two public meetings in Richmond to discuss the details of this proposed Regional School Unit. A final public hearing is scheduled for May 28, 2008 at Rich-mond High School for voters to ask questions and have the details explained. This meeting pre-cedes the vote on June 10. The hope of the Regional Planning Committee is that by Richmond joining this new district, increasing educational costs will be 'contained' rather than continuing to expand at an exponential rate. School consolidation was originally proposed as a means of sav-ing money, but as the details of school consolidation developed, it quickly became evident that consolidation would slow costs but not immediately result in savings. It will be only after three to five years that any savings might be realized.

Important School Issues Facing Voters By: Martha Witham, Superintendent of Schools

MAY 2008

The warrant article for School Consolidation will read as follows:” Do you favor the administra-tive reorganization plan prepared by the Richmond, Dresden, Monmouth, Hallowell, Farming-dale Reorganization Planning Committee to reorganize the Richmond School Department, Dres-den School Department, Monmouth School Department and Maine School Administrative District No. 16 into a regional school unit, with a effective date of July 1, 2009?”

Explanation: A “YES” vote means that you approve of the Town of Richmond joining the pro-posed regional school unit, which will be provided with the following incentives:

• More favorable consideration in approval and funding of school construction projects; and

• Eligibility for additional financial support for reorganization cost.

Explanation: A “NO” vote means that you do not approve of the Town of Richmond joining a re-gional school unit, which will result in the existing Town of Richmond receiving the following penalties:

• Less favorable consideration in approval and funding of school construction projects; and

• A reduction in state funding of educational costs in an amount estimated to be $92,000 for school year 2010 and $96,000 for school year 2011, with the possibility of ongoing penal ties for continued failure to join an approved regional school unit. Reductions in state education funding will likely result in an increased mill rate expectation to meet the local share of education costs.

It is important for voters to realize that these two warrant articles are not related. The Budget Validation referendum is the second step in a two step process to approve the 2008-09 school budget. The School Consolidation vote determines the future of the Richmond School Depart-ment as of July 1, 2009. Please attend the May 28 Public Hearing and the Town Meeting on June 3 and 4. Voting at the polls will be June 10. Thank you for involvement and contributions to the success of the Richmond Schools.

JUNE ELECTIONS

Important School Issues, Cont..

MAINELY RICHMOND

SELECTMEN (VOTE FOR TWO) BUDGET COMMITTEE (VOTE FOR TWO)

Rose Beckwith Dan Dutton

Clarence Cummins

Tracy Tuttle

SCHOOL COMMITTEE (VOTE FOR TWO) RUD (VOTE FOR ONE)

Jill Adams Dave Peppard

Cindy Hurley

Richmond Area Health Center has been hosting Medical Assistant students from Andover Col-lege for nearly two years. These students are nearing the end of their studies and must complete 160 hours of clinical study prior to graduation.

While the students are given the basics of patient care in the classroom setting, the Health Cen-ter offers them the opportunity to practice those basic skills and improve techniques. They will engage in; rooming patients, taking vital signs, obtaining patient health histories, and document-ing the information. In addition, students gain experience in the lab, observe minor surgical procedures, perform EKG’s and various other in-house tests.

As the students become more skilled they may also triage phone calls, call in medication scripts to the pharmacy and generally aid patients in much the same way the nursing staff does. Medi-cal Assistant students must be continually under the guidance of one of RAHC’s providers or nursing staff and are not allowed to do anything without the approval of a staff member.

Patients have been very receptive to this program all along. Without the patients’ cooperation, we would be unable to offer this service. RAHC patients have become part time educators while helping the students gain the knowledge and confidence to work in a medical office practice set-ting.

So if you see an unfamiliar face coming to get you while visiting the Health Center, it will proba-bly be one of our students. (They’ll be nervous, please handle with care.)

Starting on Thursday, May 1st , Richmond Area Health Center will be offering walk-in hours for current patients only. The hours are 7-8AM only and anyone wanting to be seen by Dr. Her-mans must be signed in prior to 7AM. This time period is for acute medical needs only, such as ear pain, sore throat, colds, high temperatures (over 101 F), or the sudden appearance of a rash. Only one problem will be discussed during these visits, further problems must be dealt with during regular office hours.

Tick season is in full swing. The RAHC has this information from the Maine CDC regarding deer ticks and Lyme disease.

1. Ticks like leaf piles, rock walls and moist areas.

2. Mice are one of the hosts of the deer tick, setting bait stations and traps for mice and chip munks may help eliminate many ticks.

3. Ticks need to be attached for 36 hours to transmit Lyme disease, remove them immedi ately after they are found.

Richmond Area Health Center

MAY 2008

4. Pull the tick off gently using tweezers or a commercially available tick remover. Do not use Vaseline, matches or other chemicals to remove the tick.

5. Blood tests for Lyme are not affective until at least four weeks after the bite.

6. Up to 80% of people bitten will have the “bull’s eye” rash, which may not always appear at the site of the tick bite. This rash appears within 2-32 days after the bite, usually 7-14 days. It actually expands over several days, from ½ to ¾ inch a day.

7. Individuals should seek treatment if such a rash is evident.

8. Prevention of Lyme includes:

a. Use DEET on the skin and clothing or Permethrin on clothing only.

b. Wear light colored clothes so ticks may be easily seen

c. Leave clothing outside so ticks do not enter the house d. Wear long sleeved shirts and pants when in areas ticks may live.

Contact your healthcare provider should you have questions on Lyme disease or deer ticks.

Richmond Health Center, Cont..

MAINELY RICHMOND

TOWN OF RICHMOND

PO BOX 159

RICHMOND ME 04357

PRESORTED STAND.

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

RICHMOND ME

04357

Permit #4

Carrier route

Ecwss

Postal patron

SECOND HALF OF TAXES DUE MAY 10, 2008

PUBLIC HEARINGS (2)

May 13th 6:00p.m.

At the Richmond Town Office

1. Waterfront Zoning Change

2. Hamel Ridge Subdivision

TOWN MEETING

June 3rd & 4th at 6:00p.m.

At the Richmond High School Gymnasium

ELECTIONS

June 10th 8:00a.m.-8:00p.m.

At the Richmond High Gymnasium

Please remember when you come into the town office to re-register your vehicles, trailers, motorcycles, boats and ATV’s to bring the follow-ing:

• Your Old Registration

• Your current mileage

• Your current insurance cards

MAINELY RICHMOND 2008.pdf · Inside this issue: Economic & Community Development 3 Code Enforcement...

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Transcript of MAINELY RICHMOND 2008.pdf · Inside this issue: Economic & Community Development 3 Code Enforcement...