The Selectmen's Meeting on Thursday evening, July 23, 2015, brought up some interesting questions regarding notice to the town when people are opening businesses in Lebanon, or having large money making events. WATCH the video for yourself, and don't forget to let us know what you're thinking!!
At 4 PM the Board of Selectmen welcomed Mike Beaulieu, Lebanon's new Code Enforcement Officer to their meeting. Mike wanted to speak with them on a new policy that he had instituted for his own office on the handling of files, specifically for the files for Certificates of Occupancy. With the Selectmen acting as the Lebanon Board of Assessors, there was question as to what happens after the final inspections were completed by Code Enforcement, and how long it takes for the Town Office to realize the projects are completed and the newly built home, outbuilding or addition was recognized and placed on the tax rolls. Beaulieu makes a GREAT point when he says it's unfair when someone is paying their taxes to look next to them and see someone with a new home who is not paying their share. He talked with the Board about assessing the percentage of the project that WAS completed on April 1st each year and taxing the builder accordingly.
Selectmen ask Mr. Beaulieu about his progress with a Mass Gathering Permit application by 4X4 Proving Grounds for their planned Country Music Festival on August 15th, and find that preliminary inspections have been completed, however at last discussion with Clear Choice Production Company, they had not yet secured needed insurances for the event, so Beaulieu had told them he would do the final permits when they have proof of insurance.
WATCH Part 1 of the Lebanon Maine Board of Selectmen's Meeting of 7/23/15 HERE:
The second part of the Selectmen's Video is where things get a bit more interesting. Our New Lebanon Maine Town Clerk, Mandy Grenier, introduces her plans for policy and ordinance changes in Lebanon, which includes removing the dollar amounts for town fees, originally set via ordinance votes by town voters, altering past ordinances to remove the fees, and creating a new ordinance that says the Town's Fee Schedule would be examined annually and updated and changed by the sitting Board of Selectmen. While this raises questions on removing the fee schedule from decisions made by voters, Grenier says that it would help to control the MIL rate (the rate at which Real Estate owners in town are charged taxes) and place the fees associated with services provided in town squarely in the hands of those who use these services.
Ms. Grenier's second policy is one the Board says they would like to table for now, as it is an Anti-Bullying policy for the Town's personnel. While this is an up and coming trend both in our nation's towns, as well as in schools and businesses, the Board chose to table the discussion on this as they have a Town Ethics Policy being reviewed and considered as presented by Select Board Chairman Ben Thompson only a few short weeks ago. While the Lebanon Truth Seekers have questioned if the Board has had further discussion on the idea of the Town Ethics Policy, prior to Thursday night's meeting, we have been the only one to mention it since Thompson presented the idea.
Grenier next speaks on an e mail that she received after a recent Lebanon Voice article outlined the plans for the Medical Marijuana Festival being held on Center Road again this year. This was a surprise to ALL of the Selectmen, as no one has come in speaking to them about it at all. The Lebanon Voice article claims that the weekend long Festival is planned for August 21-23, however there have been no Mass Gathering Permits applied for, and the Selectmen have not been consulted regarding this event, or whether permits need to be drawn.
Mandy speaks about the Festival and her hesitation to open an issue that has been already fought over and decided, but presents a Lebanon Ordinance from 1981 that speaks specifically to Drug Paraphernalia. Selectman Thompson states that Code Enforcement Officer Mike Beaulieu is working on changes to the same Drug Paraphernalia Ordinances. Due to changes in Maine State Laws regarding the use of Medical Marijuana, the ordinance the town holds may need to be changed in order to comply with the laws, and then revisited again if the State moves to legalize the use of recreational use marijuana.
The Lebanon Town Clerk moves to speak on an issue with Special Amusement Licenses (such as the one that is held by Train's Tavern) that allow for a business to have live entertainment events on a regular basis. Grenier's changes, which would have to be voted on and approved by the town's voters, call for changes in the need for an Annual Town Hearing every year when it's time to renew the businesses license. If the changes proposed by Ms. Grenier are voted and passed, a business would only have to present themselves at the Town Office counter with their application and fee, and barring a lack of complaints, the renewal would be granted. Selectman Thompson worries that the Town Office counter folks do not always know if complaints have been issued or voiced by town voters and that some of these complaints would "slip through the cracks" and town residents' complaints would go unanswered.
The next discussion item on the Town Clerk's list, was regarding Mass Gathering Permits. It seems that there is no set fee schedule for these permits and they do require a lot of work by Town Employees to inspect, follow through, field phone calls, and Mandy is looking to set fees for each step of the process. Select Chair Thompson adds that there IS a Mass Gathering Permit Fee of $100 for each day the Permit is applied for, but that he agrees it's minimal, and that he had no idea how that dollar amount was set or by whom.
There have been questions regarding an advertisement for employment that was placed on the Town's website. Ms. Grenier states that she didn't know it wasn't allowed, and that she took it upon herself to ad the job opportunity for Bowserzzz prior to knowing that wasn't allowed. She says that Harrison Thorp of The Lebanon Voice had phoned asking if the Town was doing this type of thing now, and if it was, in fact, being allowed, he would like her to place an ad for him. Selectman Ben Thompson says that adding advertisements for businesses to the Town Website was "Completely Illegal" stating the issue of the Town paying Grenier with public funds to advertise for a private enterprise.
SEE the second part of the
Lebanon Maine Board of Selectmen's Meeting Video HERE:
Part 3 of the Lebanon Maine Board of Selectmen's Meeting Video shows Lebanon Maine Truth Seekers Deborah Wilson speaking to the Board regarding their decision of 7/20/15 to allow herself and Lebanon Maine Truth Seeker Sandy Adams to collect donations for the replacing of the broken telescoping flag pole at the Rt. 202 EMS Building. Wilson asks if the Board will allow for Town Treasurer, Jeanette Lemay to create an account to accept these donations directly at the Town Office. After some discussion by the Board, Selectman Thompson says that the Board can do this if they create a Committee. Since the flag pole will directly benefit a town department, it's allowable to create a Committee to raise the funds for the flag pole replacement. Motion was made by Thompson to create the Committee, which still needs a 3rd member, and seconded by Selectmen Heath and all three men voted affirmatively on the motion. After the meeting, Town Clerk Mandy Grenier swore Wilson and Adams in as the Blaisdell Corner EMS Flag Pole Committee.
While we were discussing the flag pole, Sandy Adams stated that Yankee Flag Pole was willing to donate a POW/MIA flag to the Town and said that the Town is responsible to fly this flag at least 6 days per year under Federal Guidelines. Yes and No. The Town is not "Responsible" to fly it, but it sure would be nice if they did!! Here is the mandate for the POW/MIA flag as is published in the June 2012 Vietnam Magazine, "
"In 1998, Section 1082 of the Defense Authorization Act—codified as Title 36, Section 902 of the U.S. Code—mandated that the POW/MIA flag be flown over the Capitol, the White House, the Korean and Viet-nam Veterans Memorials, the offices of the secretaries of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, of the Selective Service System, and on the grounds or in the lobbies of every major military installation, every post office and all VA Medical Centers and national cemeteries on six days: POW/MIA Recognition Day, Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July and Veterans Day.Since then, some states have passed laws that also mandate flying the POW/MIA flag. Oregon, for example, requires that the POW/MIA flag be flown on or near the state capitol on the same holidays as the national law. In Washington, a 2002 law requires every state agency, every state institution of higher education, and every county, city and town to display the flag on the same six holidays. Florida requires the flag at state parks year round. Arizona enacted a law requiring the POW/MIA flag to be flown over every town and city hall, Superior Court building and county office on the designated holidays. And in 2011, Idaho became the first state to require that the POW/MIA flag be flown over all state buildings, 24 hours a day, seven days a week “or until such time as all our unaccounted for and missing members of the Armed Forces return.”"
WATCH Part 3 of the Lebanon Maine
Board of Selectmen's Meeting of July 23, 2015 HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tMlHos5mnM
The final part of the Selectmen's Meeting Video from 7/23/15 shows the Board Members working with Selectmen's Assistant Sue Collins regarding a building being built on Upper Guinea Road. Collins presents an ordinance and I got a peek at it, and once again the Lebanon ordinance regarding Drug Paraphernalia is presented to the Board. So it seems Code Enforcement, Town Clerk, and Selectmen's Assistant are all concerned with this same ordinance.
According to Selectman Nadeau, he has been told it was a "Storage Facility", however Deborah Wilson had stopped and spoken with the people recently and they had said they were building "Greenhouses".
Once again I am left wondering how someone is building a facility of this size and there is no business license requirement, or appointment with the Board of Selectmen with regards to their intentions and use of the building.
Why are there so many people concerned with Drug Paraphernalia Ordinances in concern with a planned "Storage Facility" on Upper Guinea Road.
Is this project a Medical Marijuana Facility?? Selectmen Thompson and Heath will give no confirmation on that at this time.
Selectman Nadeau seems to be in agreement with me, asking why the builders wouldn't have to state what the intended use of the facility is for, saying that he had heard at first, that the building was going to be used to "grow pigs", and then he was later told by COE Mike Beaulieu that it was a planned "Storage Facility".
The ordinance that everyone seems to be concerned with, was adopted by town vote on March 14, 1981, but as it stands, it goes against current Maine State Medical Marijuana laws.
There are questions on "Home Rule" vs. "Maine State Law"......but those questions are not answered by the Board, with Selectman Thompson stating that there are "a couple of questions on the table" regarding the legality of the ordinance against State Law, and Selectman Heath weighs in with a hearty "No Comment". Selectman Nadeau did not have a comment on this matter either.
See the Fourth Part of the Thursday evening, 7/23/15
Lebanon Maine Board of Selectmen's Meeting HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2nIxRi_W5U
The Board went into Executive Session with Lower Barley Road resident Traci Place, stating that her issue was a Personnel Issue, but stated to us that if there were any decisions that the Board would rule on, they would call us back into the meeting, however, while we waited outside the Town Office, Selectman Nadeau emerged from the building and left for the evening. Apparently, the adjournment of the meeting had taken place and the meeting was finished for the evening.
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