Newry began looking at potentially withdrawing from SAD 44 in 2014, after some residents expressed concern about the quality of education in the district and the amount of money the town pays for it.

The issue took many twists and turns, coming to a stalemate when the Newry Withdrawal Committee and a committee negotiating for SAD 44 could not settle on a withdrawal agreement for Newry residents to vote on. The standoff even made its way to the Maine Legislature in each of the past two years, as officials sought a change to the withdrawal law.

In its last iteration in April, a disagreement between the Maine House of Representatives and the Senate effectively killed a bill that would have provided for binding mediation for stalled school withdrawal negotiations and that would have helped Newry in its withdrawal effort.

The Legislature’s Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs had voted unanimously in February to recommend passage of the bill, LD 1336. A fear locally that passage by the full Legislature could lead to binding mediation that would result in an actual agreement for Newry to vote on helped prompt an effort to change the local school cost-sharing formula (see related story) to try to encourage Newry to stay in SAD 44. Withdrawal could have a significant financial impact on the other towns, according to district officials.

But the outlook for the bill from Newry’s standpoint was questionable even before the Legislature reached its own stalemate. When LD 1336 was sent to the House, an amendment was added by Rep. John Madigan (D-Rumford) that would have excluded SAD 44 and SAD 6 from the binding mediation option. It was approved 104-38.

When the bill moved on to the Senate, that body removed the amendment, approved the bill and sent it back to the House. There representatives voted 93-51 to ‘adhere,’ which means they adamantly stood by the previous action of the SAD 44-SAD 6 exemption, according to state Rep. Fran Head’s office. A vote to adhere to a negative action kills the bill.

Head voted for the amendment, and to adhere, as did Madigan, who represents Woodstock.

The Senate also adhered to its position, and the bill was placed in “Legislative Files.” Therefore there would not be any binding mediation options for any districts in the state, at least coming out of that legislative session.

Through the course of the local debate, some in Newry  expressed frustration with arguments from other officials and residents of SAD 44 towns on the financial effect of Newry withdrawing. The Newry residents said SAD 44 was describing an exaggerated impact by not factoring in provisions of the last withdrawal proposal from the Newry Withdrawal Committee, which included a “targeted grants” proposal. It would provide for the town to annually contribute money to “enhance the quality of education in SAD 44.”  The amount would be approved at each annual Newry Town Meeting.

The Newry residents also said that proposal countered claims by some that Newry only wanted to withdraw to save tax money by simply tuitioning its two dozen students back to SAD 44. The intent, rather, was to improve education in the district, they said. The NWC proposal also provided for any financial impact of withdrawal to be spread over 10 years, rather than just one, which is more common for withdrawals.

In November SAD 44 voters approved a change in the local cost-sharing formula, setting up a March vote in Newry on whether to discontinue the withdrawal process, which is currently idle.

Greenwood wind

A two-year controversy over wind power in Greenwood concluded in August with a vote to approve amendments to town ordinance that effectively banned wind farms through a new tower height restriction.

The Calpine Corporation had hoped to build a 13-turbine Long Mountain Wind Farm near the area of Long, Tibbetts and Elwell mountains. In the previous ordinance, tower height limits were not listed. Greenwood’s Ordinance Review Committee suggested limiting heights to 250 feet. Calpine said that the height of the towers had to exceed 500 feet to make the project viable.

The amendments also reduced setbacks from non-participating property lines and lower the maximum decibels of noise produced by the turbines.

Impacts on property values and scenic views were cited by property owners as some of the main issues the wind farm would have created. Other problems included noise complaints and effects on wildlife and human health.

Calpine had said the wind farm would have created average net property tax revenues of more than $423,000 a year, and would provide community payments to the town of around $7,700 per year per turbine. The company had said it would also donate funds to community organizations.

The town’s Ordinance Review Committee put in months of work researching the amendments the panel ultimately proposed.

In a letter mailed to Greenwood residents shortly before the vote, the Bethel Area Business Association laid out its reasons for opposing the amendments, under the theme that they would be too restrictive, and that the town would benefit from the added revenue generated by the project. 

But those arguments did not convince the majority, and the ordinance amendments passed easily, 206-41.

“It’s great for the small town of Greenwood because it shows that corporate America cannot push little towns around as much as they think they can,” Greenwood resident Norm Milliard said after the vote. 

Veterans Park

Bethel sewer

Late in the year, at a special town meeting, a very small number of voters approved a $1.2 million loan from the USDA Rural Development program for improvements to the town’s Waste Water Treatment Plant.

The vote was 8-2 for the loan, which was larger than was anticipated earlier this year.

The funds will help complete the project, which had already been approved by the town. The upgrade work includes safety and environmental improvements and the construction of a building to house the WWTP’s dewatering machine, which consolidates sludge (waste from sewage) for easier disposal. Other proposed upgrades included new pumps, decking and a shed.

The selectboard had been dealing with the loss of an expected $485,000 in federal grant money that would have gone toward improvements at the plant. A USDA program grant was withdrawn this fall because by the time it would be received, the town would no longer have enough debt from its current WWTP loans to qualify, according to Interim Town Manager David Holt.

Earlier this year Bethel’s WWTP capital improvement plan had budgeted for borrowing approximately $400,000 and using another $400,000 in grant money the town already had for the work. But in July the board received bids significantly above their expectations — $1,714,300 and $1,494,769. In August the selectmen voted to apply for additional grant money, and were told in September they would receive the $485,000 grant, to be paired with a total of $718,000 in loans. But then the grant was withdrawn.

The principal amount of the loan that was approved in December is $1,203,000, at an estimated interest rate of 3.125 percent for 30 years, resulting in an interest of $981,833, for a total of $2,181,833.

Holt said that project design costs and interest rates are expected to go up further in the future, and he recommended the town approve the project now, with a starting construction time of next spring.

Town officials have said that without a building, the dewatering machine currently can only be operated on sunny days, and not in the winter, so the WWTP is not getting the full benefit. Holt said that without compacting, the sludge it is difficult to get rid of it.

Some wondered why the machine had been bought before the building was constructed, and said the town should take more time to come up with a better plan that would reduce costs, and hold a vote at the annual town meeting in June, when more people would be expected to attend.

Town officials said the machine, a rebuilt one, was available at the time at a good price, and there had been a plan all along to construct the building for it.

Holt and selectmen said they did not have any better options to recommend.

The selectmen also said there are safety concerns at the plant that need to be addressed soon to protect employees.

Troy Murphy

A graphic simulation by Calpine of how wind towers proposed for Greenwood might have looked from Twitchell Pond.

The entrance to Bethel’s Waste Water Treatment Plant.

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