After voters rejected a proposed public-private partnership for water exploration Thursday night, three other articles easily met approval.

About half of the crowd left after the water exploration article was defeated. Attendance was higher than the turnout at the annual town meeting in April, according to town officials.

The voters approved articles calling for the acceptance of an extension of Pulsifer Road into the Bailey Hill Subdivision and to establish non-lapsing reserve accounts for funds derived from the town’s broom and rolloff trucks, so that the funds in the reserve accounts would not lapse at the end of fiscal years.

– John Plestina
Sabattus:

Base lot values change due to revaluation

A revaluation of town property has changed the town’s roughly 10-year-old base lot value and the excess acreage value on all parcels in town to reflect current value, Town Administrator Tracy Fabrizio said.

Base lots jumped from $25,000 to $32,200 while the excess acreage rates rose to $750 per acre, she said. Taxpayers with large tracts of land will see the largest increases, Fabrizio said.

Gravel pits have been increased to $25,000 per acre for the first five acres with a declining rate on the remaining acreage, she said. Mobile home parks have climbed to $35,000 per acre, Fabrizio said.

People wondering why their tax bill went up can also look to Homestead Exemption, she said. There has been a decrease since last year.

Instead of 100 percent, the town’s certified ratio is now 83 percent, she said. That means a home valued at less than $103,750 will get an exemption of $5,810, Fabrizio said.

A home valued at $103,750 to $207,500 will get an exemption of $4,150, she said. A home valued at $207,500, or more, will get an exemption of $2,075, Fabrizio said.

Moreover, an increase in the county budget contributed to the tax rate rising to 23 mills, she said. “That’s where we were hit also,” Fabrizio said.

– Seth Golden
Poland:

Road dispute going before Board of Appeals

The town’s Board of Appeals will determine a dispute between a homeowner’s association and the code enforcement officer.

The Planning Board and a group representing the Poland Spring Estates Association failed to agree Tuesday night on the length of an old road that must be maintained.

At issue is an old road at the subdivision that hasn’t been maintained for about 30 years, said Code Enforcement Officer Arthur Dunlap. The homeowner’s association wants to begin using the road.

Dunlap said he told the association they must maintain a minimum of 200 feet of roadway. The Poland Spring Estates Association disagreed, offering to maintain 60 feet.

The Board of Appeals will consider the issue at a later date.

– John Plestina
Poland:

Three projects OK’d, another tabled

The Planning Board has approved an antique shop for Steven Cormier.

The board also granted approval to Robert Brown to expand parking for a motorhome in a residential shoreland zoning area.

In another matter, a shore zoning application by Timothy Storbeck to build a house was approved.

Another shore zoning application by Laird Covey to expand a house was tabled for additional information.

The board discussed the possibility of a new tire store and apartment building with a developer.

In another matter, John Hines came before the board seeking information about a proposed subdivision between Hines and Carpenter roads.

In other business, the board determined that a nitrate pool study should be done by Kimball and Corcoran at the site of a new subdivision.

– John Plestina
Leeds:

Fire department receives grant money

The Leeds Fire Department recently received a $49,500 federal grant for fire operations and firefighter safety.

Last week, Michael D. Brown, the undersecretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, announced 321 grants to fire departments throughout the U.S. in the 11th round of the 2003 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.

This year more than 2,600 fire departments in the country have received approximately $170 million to support their roles as first responders in their communities.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fire Administration, part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and helps rural, urban and suburban fire departments throughout the U.S.

– Seth Golden