NEW GLOUCESTER – The possibility of an invasion of milfoil and hydrilla plants continues to worry Sabbathday Lake Association members, who are taking steps to inspect boats entering the lake.

There are no reports of these plants in the lake now, but 16 lakes in Maine have reported infestations. Member Matt Johnson is spearheading an effort that requires volunteer monitors sign up for weekend duty at the Outlet Beach boat launch.

On Wednesday, roughly 35 members attending the final meeting of the season also heard from New Gloucester Tax Assessor Agent Nancy Pinette about a townwide revaluation program that is nearly two-thirds complete. After Christmas taxpayers will be sent the new figures for their properties. Public hearings will then take place.

The revaluation program began last year.

New Gloucester has 2,580 properties of which 205 are business properties that form the town’s tax base. The last full revaluation was completed in 1990. The new tax figures will be assigned to the 2004-05 tax bills.

Pinette said she is keeping close watch over real estate sale transactions through transfer tax and deeds every day. She gave examples of recent sales within the last five years at the lake. For example, one property that sold for $285,000 was assessed at $117,500 and another sold last year at $340,000 was assessed at $161,800. Both assessments are at the 1990 level.

She also said Pineland’s tax valuation had increased $4 million last year.

However, New Gloucester shelters Pineland taxes in a Tax Increment Financing District whereby the town can use the money to pay for costly infrastructure needs caused by the development.

Last spring selectmen were told by former assessor Ken Allen that a revaluation is a revenue neutral event. Adjusting or even increasing property values has nothing to do with the amount of taxes a community must raise to pay for government, and there are no additional taxes raised due to the revaluation. Property tax increases are always the result of the following:

• An increase in government spending as voted by residents at a municipal town meeting or at a school budget referendum.

• Or a reduction in revenues such as General Purpose Aid to Education, State Revenue Sharing, or automobile excise tax, for example.

The revaluation is by definition a process of equalization, a periodic correction to mirror the changes of the real estate market as a whole, and the various real estate submarkets. Shorefront property may appreciate or depreciate at a different rate from non-shorefront property, for example.

Finally, Sabbathday Lake Association President Michael Cloutier gave preliminary results of this year’s water testing program. Scott Williams has reported that clarity readings are lower than prior years due to the excessive rainfall this summer. Clarity readings are: May, 4.61 meters; June, 4.86 meters; July, 6.19 meters; and August, 5.72 meters.

“The rain in August killed our water quality,” Cloutier said.

Last year Sabbathday Lake’s water clarity average was 6.9 meters for five months of testing in a season with no rainfall.