RUMFORD — Four proposed ordinances covering an RSU 10 contract with the Parks Department, cable franchise fees, sign dimension changes and municipal employees will go before town meeting voters in June for approval.

Selectmen did their part in the process on Wednesday night, approving the four proposals at a public hearing, the second such meeting this month. Selectmen usually schedule two days to hear proposals.

Town attorney Thomas Carey is expected to review the law changes to ensure their legality before they are placed on the warrant.

The first proposal relates to revenue from RSU 10, Town Manager Carlo Puiia said early Wednesday afternoon.

He said Parks and Recreation requested language stating that incidental income resulting from their operations for RSU 10 be allocated to their budget — in addition to the town appropriation — so that the funds may be drawn upon for the Parks and Recreation Department’s expenses.

“It’s very similar to language that exists almost verbatim already for the library,” Puiia said. “So, in other words, incidental income that the library generates, (the library) is allowed to utilize that toward their expenses.”

Another part of the request would allow any remaining funds to be placed into Parks and Recreation’s capital account.

“So any money that is not spent will be used to offset capital expenses,” he said.

The second proposed ordinance allocates two-thirds of the total cable franchise fees received by the town from the cable franchise agreement to cable access programming use.

Allocation of the other third is by vote by the Board of Selectmen rather than letting them have discretion over the full amount, Puiia said.

He said the ordinance is written as such should local access provider, the River Valley Access Channel, cease existence.

Puiia said the ordinance doesn’t dictate how selectmen are to use the remaining third. They could use it for community events, like the upcoming Fourth of July celebration to buy fireworks.

“Or they could remit the entire amount if need be to cable access programming use,” he said.

“It just gives them some discretion, because some years ago they voted on it at the polls how people wanted them to use that. The people did vote that they wanted them to use some discretion.”

The third proposal is a redrafting of the Sign Ordinance. Puiia said there have been problems with the size of signs and banners that the current ordinance doesn’t address.

“Now, all political and yard-sale signs shall not exceed 500 square inches and banners shall not exceed 30 square feet,” he said.

“We also want to say that there shall be no alcohol-related messages or logos allowed as part of any signs or banners, because that does happen occasionally.”

The latter is a citizen request that the board acknowledged by working it into the new ordinance, he said.

“It just shows that we were listening,” Puiia said. “We did not ignore his request.”

The fourth proposed ordinance states that all town of Rumford employees will be subject to the terms and conditions stipulated in the municipal personnel policy unless otherwise provided in the collective bargaining agreement.

“It’s pretty common language when you deal with three separate unions and you have a personnel policy, some of which covered in the personnel policy is already in their contract,” Puiia said.

“But the things that aren’t covered in their contract, as long as they’re town-wide policies, then they must adhere to them.”

He said the issue came up when the personnel policy was redrafted and officials realized it wasn’t already in an ordinance.

“This just covers any of the unions with conditions that are not expressed in their contract or any elected officers that are governed, but they still must follow the town personnel policy,” Puiia said.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link