Livermore selectpersons consider updating Comprehensive Plan

LIVERMORE — Selectpersons on Thursday discussed the process for updating the Comprehensive Plan.

Joel Gilbert, president of the Jay/Livermore/Livermore Falls Chamber of Commerce, said Jay and Livermore Falls officials are also working on their comprehensive plans.

The first step is to request updated data from the state, Gilbert said. Part of that is sending out a survey, which Erica Bufkins, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments land use and transportation planner, can help with.

Chairman Mark Chretien said the survey could be available at local stores during the June elections.

Gilbert also serves on the Jay Comprehensive Plan Committee and has spoken with a few people who might be interested in serving on a similar committee in Livermore. The committee would include 12-15 people, who would break into smaller groups to address specific areas, then work to compile everything.

Gilbert said retirees are more knowledgeable and people ages 35 to 55 are one to get committed to working on the plan.

Perkins suggested asking senior students at Spruce Mountain High School how they would like to see their town in the future. It would look good on their resumes, he said.

“The plan helps to set the town up to receive funding for roads, for other projects that the town’s working on,” Gilbert said. “If you have a comp plan and process in place, AVCOG will basically prioritize your grant requests.”

According to AVCOG, “A comprehensive plan is a long-range planning document … that identifies the goals and desires of a community over the next 20-plus years.”

Topics covered in the plan include historical resources, economics, housing, transportation, water resources, public facilities and land use, so it takes time, Gilbert said.

Chretien said Livermore is far behind on roadwork.

It costs about $500,000 per mile, Richmond said.

“People want their road fixed, don’t want their taxes to go up,” Selectperson Joshua Perkins said.

“AVCOG has received a grant, they would help to write the transportation piece,” he said. “That actually has to do with the roads and the condition of the roads.”

Gilbert said Bufkins could help facilitate some meetings and that the process could take 14 months or longer and the cost could range from $1,000 to $2,000 or more, depending on consultants.

It was suggested that Bufkins attend a board meeting.

“If she could come with that packet from the state, that would be great,” Gilbert said.

Chretien asked Gilbert to return to the board once Jay’s process is a bit further along.

Selectperson Scott Richmond said he thought a plan had been created in the early 2000s. In a 2008 Sun Journal article, it reported the plan was adopted June 12, 2008 at the annual town meeting.