Selectmen let the practice of hanging banners promoting community events continue for now.
By Donna M. Perry
Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – More than 40 voters OK’d a $10,000 planning grant the town received to extend water lines to three apartment complexes housing mostly elderly citizens.

Residents also voted to upgrade the town’s subdivision regulations to a subdivision ordinance and adopted a new Budget Committee Ordinance.

In regular business, selectmen opted to continue the practice for now of allowing banners to be hung on town property promoting community events until further study is down to see if the banner hanging conflicts with the town’s sign ordinance.

The board also tabled action on allowing bicycle racks to be installed downtown until a member of the Downtown Business & Professional Association is present to discuss the matter.

During the special town meeting, Farmington Village Corp. supervisor Tom Holt, responding to a resident’s question, said the extension of the water lines to the complexes, which now get water through aging wells, would have no impact on water customers’ rates. The Community Development Block Grant is expected to cover costs associated with the project, he said.

Concerning the Budget Committee Ordinance proposal, resident and Deputy Fire Rescue Chief Clyde Ross objected to the proposed ordinance, which replaces one from 1941, because it prohibits town employees from being on the Budget Committee.

Ross said the ordinance discriminates against town employees. He also questioned why Budget Committee members had not been appointed as of June 1 as the 1941 ordinance called for.

Selectmen’s Chairman Mary Wright said that it wasn’t the first time selectmen had not appointed committee members on that date. She also said selectmen used a Maine Municipal Association ordinance as a model to create one for the town. She said the new ordinance protects the town from having the vote influenced by employees.

Selectman Dennis Pike sided with Ross calling the new ordinance discriminatory. The ordinance allows for 11 appointed members on staggered terms and up to four alternates.

In the end, Town Moderator Paul Mills said the ordinance passed in a 12 to 6 vote.

After the special town meeting, selectmen and some residents moved to the Municipal Building to take up regular business.

Several people spoke in favor of letting nonprofit organizations hang banners advertising community events on two spots: the island between Water and Bridge streets and one at the intersection of Farmington Falls Road and High Street.

At the last meeting, selectmen considered a written policy regulating the banners, but Chairman Wright had proposed banning the banners altogether citing traffic safety, appearance, advertising for businesses and town secretary Linda Grant’s time. She coordinates banner space.

Shannon Smith, a resident of Wilton, but a leader with several organizations that span both towns, said she would be “very disappointed” if the practice was discontinued.

Resident Emily Floyd said she was not opposed to the banners. Sandy Richard said she appreciated being able to advertise events for nonprofit groups but opposed soda company’s advertising on the banners.

Lloyd Smith said the town needed to be very careful because if the town does take away the practice, banners could be put up all over the place.

Selectman Mark Cayer said he didn’t see a problem with the banners and Pike echoed his sentiments.

But resident Roger Perry mentioned that the town’s banner advertising may conflict with the town’s sign ordinance. Code Enforcement Officer Steve Kaiser had written a memo saying it didn’t conflict with the ordinance or state regulations for hanging signs.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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