A public hearing for a new liquor license was held prior to the selectmen’s November 7 meeting. Karen Shaunesey applied for a new liquor license for the Village Public House located at 55 Carry Road in Oquossoc. There were no concerns from the public or the selectmen and the license was approved under the Consent portion of the agenda. The Village Public House will be located at the former Gingerbread Restaurant and is scheduled to open in early December.

Greg Whalen, the chairman of the Veteran’s Memorial Committee, made a presentation to the selectmen under the New Business portion of the agenda. The committee created an engraving application and were seeking the selectmen’s approval of the application, so that they can reach out to the public. Whalen reported that no new names have been added to the Veterans Memorial since 1993, and that some names were missed prior to that.

To have a veteran’s name engraved on the Veterans Memorial Park wall, an individual must be retired or deceased and have been Honorably Discharged or received a General Discharge under Honorable conditions. Additionally, the veteran must have been or currently is a Rangeley resident, graduated from Rangeley Lakes Regional School/Rangeley High School or attended RLRS/Rangeley High School at least 3 years.

Names to be placed on the monument can be submitted to the committee by contacting Rangeley Town Clerk, Marti Belt, who is the point person for the committee.

The selectmen unanimously supported, approved the engraving application, and thanked Mr. Whalen and his committee members for their efforts. The committee will hold a joint meeting with the Park Commission on November 17 at 5pm to discuss the scope of work for improvements at the monument.

An event permit was approved for the annual Giving Tree Lighting. The Giving Tree is located between the Chamber of Commerce building in the town park and Main Street. This event will take place on November 26 from 3:30pm to 5:30 pm.

The town was awarded two safety grants from Maine Municipal Association. One grant applied for by Fire Chief Michael Bacon was in the amount of $2,693.32 for the exclusive purchase of traffic cones and vests. The other grant was secured by Assistant Town Manager Tracie Lavoie in the amount of $3,000.00 to help offset the cost of new exterior handrails at the town office.

The town manager received notice from Waste Management that waste handling fees were increasing effective January 1, 2023. There will be a $3.00 per ton increase for Construction and Demolition Debris and a $1.00 per ton increase for Municipal Solid Waste.

The selectmen authorized the town manager to fill a position at the highway department vacated by a heavy equipment operator.

The attorney for the previous owner of property located at 35 Hotel Rd. attended the meeting via Zoom. The town owns property as a result of foreclosure. The town had been working to help the previous owner regain ownership of the property, but he declined to accept language in the agreement that would protect the towns interest. The selectmen then voted to sell the property by sealed bid. The attorney informed the selectmen that his client has now agreed to the provisions in the agreement the town wanted. The selectmen did not vote to change their position and the property will be sold by sealed bid.

The selectmen voted to proceed with the Oquossoc Village Planning Study and authorized the town manager to sign the Contract for a State Funded Project.

A sample survey provided by Wright-Pierce Engineering as part of the Oquossoc Park Master Plan was reviewed by the selectmen. The survey questions will solicit public input for a vision of the Oquossoc Park.

The selectmen received a draft Short Term Rental ordinance (Ch.34), from the Ordinance Committee for their review. A public hearing is scheduled for 5pm on November 21 to discuss this proposed ordinance. Public attendance and input are welcome.

The selectmen received input from Valerie Zapolsky concerning the draft sign ordinance contained in the proposed revisions to the Rangeley Zoning Ordinance (Ch.38). Public discussion of Zapolsky’s input will occur on November 16 during the Board of Selectmen’s next scheduled Ch. 38 workshop.

The selectmen supported the town managers request to appoint deputy CEO Karl Kolze and CEO Jim Duggan to the Comprehensive Plan Review and Implementation Committee. The committee also includes Christopher Farmer and Cyndy Egan. Town Manager Joe Roach will participate administratively but not a as a member. The committee hopes to start meeting this month. An important goal of this committee will be to ensure that the Comprehensive Plan and Ch.38 are compatible.

The next regularly scheduled selectmen’s meeting is November 21st.

Friday November 11 is Veterans Day. Thank a veteran for helping preserve our opportunity to appreciate our common values and the freedoms we embrace.

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