The Rangeley Board of Selectmen met with Town Manager Joe Roach to start the budget process on January 30th. This was the initial presentation of the fiscal year 23/24 Proposed Annual Budget.
The Budget Committee is usually present at all discussions of the annual budget. The Budget Committee can have up to seven members. Four members need to be present at each meeting to constitute a quorum which empowers the committee to vote on their budget recommendations. The Budget Committee performs a valuable role discussing Town expenditures with the Selectmen and providing input through recommendations. Presently there is only one member on the committee. Three more members are needed to create a quorum and allow the committee to become active. The majority of budget meetings take place in February. Any Rangeley resident with an interest in serving on the Budget Committee should notify the Town Office.
Town Manager Joe Roach is also the Airport Manager. Prior to the 6:00pm budget meeting he met with the Airport Commission at 4:30pm. The Town released a Request For Qualifications (RFQ) for airport planning and engineering consulting services this past fall. The services are needed to move forward with Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) at the Stephen Bean Municipal Airport through 2028.
Airport Commission members received copies of qualification statements from three aviation consultants. The members will use score sheets to rank the consultants after reviewing their statements. The Airport Manager will provide score sheet results to the Selectmen for their consideration in selecting an aviation consultant.
Pavement maintenance along with apron and taxi lane improvements are on the list of proposed CIP projects. Also on the CIP list are easement acquisitions and obstruction removals. The Town’s decision to extend the runway on the end towards the Loon Lake Road has resulted in neighboring properties having trees on them that are now considered obstructions. It is anticipated to be a lengthy and expensive process to acquire the easements and remove the obstructions.
The Federal Aviation Authority’s (FAA) requirement that the cell phone tower located on Dallas Hill be lighted is also the result of the runway extension towards Loon Lake Road. When the cell tower was originally proposed the FAA determined that no lighting was required. While construction of the tower was delayed by litigation the runway extension was completed. When litigation ended the FAA required the permit to include tower lights because of the runway extension.
The Rangeley Planning Board held a public hearing on January 25, 2023 for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). The only information provided at the approximately thirty second long public hearing was that the CUP was for 2057 Main Street, Map 042, Lot 036. The Board opened their regular meeting immediately after the close of the public hearing. At the meeting a CUP was approved for applicant Asling Farm LLC doing business as Mountain Star Estate.
Mountain Star Estate is a motel/wedding venue located at 2057 Main Street and known locally as The Farm House Inn. This property is in the process of being sold. Due diligence revealed that although the wedding venue has operated for five years there is no record that a CUP was ever issued. Licensed Plumbing Inspector Paul Packard recommended that the waste water system be made compliant with Maine State Rules. Deputy Code Enforcement Officer Karl Kolze recommended that sufficient parking be provided to prevent guests from parking on Route 4.
Although the CUP was approved it will be withheld until the septic system upgrades have been completed.
The next Rangeley Board of Selectmen’s meeting will be held on Monday, February 6, 2023.
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