CHESTERVILLE – A development boom led annual meeting voters Monday night to overwhelmingly agree to increase the code enforcement officer’s hours.

The resolution came after one of the longest discussions, 12 minutes, at the relatively short meeting, which was attended by 50 or so residents.

Code Enforcement Officer Brenda Medcoff, who also works for Wilton, Livermore Falls and Temple, works about four hours per week now. Last year, townspeople voted to raise $3,000 for her position.

But, developments and violations are on the rise in the small town of 1,170 residents. In 2003, there was $1.7 million of building and additions in Chesterville, including five new seasonal camps and 19 new mobile/single-family homes, according to selectmen.

All that building growth means that Medcoff can’t keep up, she told townspeople. She said there are more violations, which often get her sidetracked and slow up her time to turn around building permits.

In the end, the people suffer because she can’t meet the demand, she said.

She and selectmen requested $10,000 be raised from excise tax and $2,030 from building permit fees, for a total of $12,030 to fund her position.

Medcoff said that amount, more than a quadruple increase from last year, is based on her working about 10 hours a week, plus attending the 12 Planning Board meetings and any appeals board meetings.

It comes to $22 an hour, she said, but pointed out she doesn’t receive vacation or sick time. She also takes a lot of work home, and doesn’t get paid for that.

Resident David Gray made a motion to drop the article down to $6,000 instead of $12,030, saying the recommended amount was just too much of an increase.

But, Selectman David Archer stressed that the code enforcement officer needs more than $6,000 worth of time and that if the town wanted to retain Medcoff, they should agree to increase the hours and the pay.

Medcoff emphasized that she wanted to stay, and was even considering dropping another one of the towns she serves so she could take on more hours in Chesterville. “I like the people here. I like the government. I like Chesterville,” she said.

Gray’s motion, seconded by his brother Richard, was strongly shot down.

After 12 minutes of discussion, moderator Jim Grippe said it had been long enough for one article, and suggested moving along. Townspeople then voted on the original $12,030 article, approving it with a hearty “aye” of support.

Voters also gave the nod to raise and appropriate $45,600, taken from excise taxes and fees, for town officers’ salaries. The sum of $14,000 was raised for the Fire Department, $7,000 for town office maintenance, $66,000 for the tipping fee and transportation of waste to Norridgewock and $9,000 for maintenance of the town garage.

In total, around $66,000 was raised for road repairs.

Charisse Keach won over incumbent Wanda Soule in a 37-26 vote to represent the town for a three-year term on the SAD 9 board. Running unopposed, incumbent David Archer collected 55 votes for a three-year selectman position.

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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