BETHEL — Four Bethel select board members voted to leave the proposed short term rental ordinance on the floor of the editing room.
It will not be brought forward to a public hearing on May 15 nor will it be on this year’s town meeting warrant.
Only Select Board Member Lori Swain voted to move forward with the ordinance that would have required short term rental owners to register their property with the town and follow a common set of rules. The town would have had a contact to call in case of emergencies or noise complaints. Further, the ordinance would have created a baseline of the total number of short term rentals in Bethel.
Stoned Moose owner, Mike Everett, and Select Board Member Frank Del Duca spoke on why they opposed the draft. Town Manager Natalie Andrews also advised pausing the ordinance until current court cases [in other towns] were resolved. Select Board Member Meryl Kelly turning to Ordinance Committee Member Jim Bennett said, “I’m sorry Jim, I know you guys worked really hard on this.”
Kelly said before they put forth an ordinance “it has to be done really thoughtfully and it has to be done in a way that the whole [code] book confirms what it is saying. It doesn’t, right at the moment.”
Of the five public hearing items, the board also removed an article to regulate the permitting and operation of adult use marijuana cultivation facilities. This on the advice of Everett who spoke at length about revisions that should be made in the wording and offered his help to make the changes.
Item 2 which would allow the Town Manager a $1,000 contingency fund was scrutinized by Frank Del Duca, who suggested the amount stay at $100. “I think the town manager should have a closer eye on $1,000.” said Del Duca.
This led to long discussion about accounting and accountability. “I did research, most towns are $1,000 to $5,000,” said Andrews. Despite Del Duca’s protests, the article will go to the public hearing at the $1,000 level.
The three remaining articles will be discussed at the public hearing on May 17.
Sarah DeCato came before the board to ask if the Angevine Park monitor position could be put up to bid on a regular basis. “In the past there hasn’t been a level of accountability for that position and in the upkeep of the park that has been very relevant.”
She asked if they could extend the park’s hours through Columbus Day. “People are jumping the fence and utilizing the pond anyway.” DeCato also mentioned that Crescent Park School fifth graders are restoring an old Sun Journal newspaper box to be a free library at Angevine Park.
DeCato asked to fill the seat vacated by Maryvonne Wheeler on the Ethel Bisbee Ad Hoc Committee. Later in the meeting, the board voted to add DeCato.
The board voted to accept a $500 donation for the Bethel Recreation ice rink from Lowell Spruce.
Several towns, Mexico Dixfield, Rumford and Bethel and the county are addressing a regional need for animal control services, said Andrews in her town report.
The heavy rain brought extremely high levels from the storm on May 1. Some 326,000 gallons passed through the Waste Water Treatment plant on that day. “We are licensed for 340,000 gallons,” noted Andrews in her report. “despite the levels the PH levels remain clean,” she said
Absentee ballots will be available at town office from May 15 to June 8.
The East Bethel Cemetery will be turned over to the town.
In a discussion of who should receive the Spirit of America Award, Meryl Kelly said she had thought of five candidates, but had narrowed it to three. Her choices were: Maryvonne Wheeler, Charlie Raymond and Bonnie Pooley. “Super influential, lovely human beings that have helped people throughout their entire existences,” said Kelly.
Both Patricia McCartney and Lori Swain, on the select board, suggested Fran Head, former legislator, who the board voted to receive the award.
Prior recipients were Arlan Jodrey, the IGA, Stan Howe and Arlene Greenleaf.
The board approved signing off on a letter that supports self help by home owners, a program operated by Community Concepts.
Earlier, at a special select board meeting with the budget committee, the group approved the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department contract for $422,904. Kelly and Board Chairman Lloyd Sweetser voted their approval, while the other three select board members voted in opposition. The budget committee voted six in favor and three opposed.
They also voted to separate the Town Clerk and Finance Department at the request of the select board. Said Andrews, it is “because it is not written in the codes to have an assistant town manager department.” Two people on the budget committee voted against the revision. Amy Hanscom’s title as Assistant Town Manager has been changed to: Finance Officer, Deputy Tax Collector, Town Clerk and Registrar of Voters. Her job is the same, just the title has changed.
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