Results of November 3, 2015 Town of Lebanon Referendum Questions and State of Maine Referendum Questions.

TOWN OF LEBANON MAINE REFERENDUM RESULTS

1. To amend the Lebanon Shoreland Zoning Ordinance  
386 YES  230 NO  PASSED

2. To amend the Building Code Ordinance for the Selectmen to set fees 
290 YES  324 NO  NOT PASSED

3. To amend the Zoning Code Ordinance for Selectmen to set fees
279 YES  334 NO  NOT PASSED

4. To amend the Massage and Sexual Contact Ordinance for the Selectmen to set fees
315 YES  292 NO  PASSED

5. To amend the Dog Ordinance for the Selectmen to set fees
335 YES  285 NO  PASSED

6. To amend the Waste Disposal Facility Ordinance for the Selectmen to set fees
167 YES  448 NO  NOT PASSED

7. To amend the Mass Gathering Permit Ordinance for the Selectmen to set fees
178 YES  438 NO  NOT PASSED

8. To amend the Special Amusement Ordinance for the Selectmen to set fees
294 YES  313 NO  NOT PASSED

9. To enact a "Lebanon Events and Outdoor Festivals" Ordinance
354 YES  250 NO  PASSED

10. To amend the Building Code Ordinance to require non-bearing walls spaced 16 inches on center.
298 YES  310 NO  NOT PASSED

11. To amend the Building Code Ordinance for Building Permits to expire 1 year from date of issue.
325 YES  286 NO  PASSED

12. To amend the Building Code Ordinance to include  Electrical Inspections
208 YES  403 NO  NOT PASSED

13. To amend the Mass Gathering Ordinance to require permit applications to be filed 30 days in advance
204 YES  405 NO  NOT PASSED

14. To authorize the removal of the wall between Selectmen's Office and Code Enforcement Office to create a larger room for Selectmen's meetings and other Town Functions.
342 YES  272 NO  PASSED.

STATE OF MAINE REFERENDUM ELECTION RESULTS

1. Citizen's initiative to change Maine Law to allow publicly financed state candidates to qualify for additional funds under certain limits and rules in the Maine Clean Election Act, to improve the disclosure of who pays for political ads, and to increase penalties for violations of campaign finance law? 
272 YES  344 NO  NOT PASSED IN LEBANON

2. Favor of a $15,000,000 bond issue for the construction of new energy efficient affordable homes for low income seniors.
372 YES  246 NO  PASSED IN LEBANON

3. Favor an $85,000,000 bond issue for the construction and rehabilitation of highways, bridges and for facilities and equipment related to ports, harbors, marine transportation, freight and passenger railroads, aviation transit and bicycle and pedestrian trails to be used to match an estimated $121,500,000 in Federal and other funds.
403 YES  214 NO  PASSED IN LEBANON

Community Forestry Grants Available Through Project Canopy, the Maine Dept of Agriculture's Community Forestry Program.

 

AUGUSTA, Maine – Project Canopy, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s community forestry program, will award $150,000 in grants to local governments and municipalities, educational institutions and non-profit organizations that support community efforts to develop and maintain long-term community forestry programs. Funded by the U.S. Forest Service, the Project Canopy grants are available in two categories: planning and education grants and tree planting and maintenance grants. The average grants range from $6,000 to $8,000 and require a 50-percent cost-share with cash or in-kind services. Since 2005, Project Canopy has awarded more than $1.5 million in funding for community forestry projects. Project Canopy is a cooperative partnership between the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry’s Bureau of Forestry and GrowSmart Maine. It encourages communities to develop project proposals that support sustainable community forestry management, increase awareness of the benefits of trees and forests, and increase the health and livability of communities through sound tree planting and maintenance. Project Canopy Director Jan Ames Santerre provided recent examples of community projects that can benefit from Project Canopy grants. Projects of note in 2014 include 3 projects in Farmington ($4,000), Kennebunkport ($4,919), and Monmouth ($4,000) for shade tree inventory and management planning for street trees;. and two projects in Fort Kent ($8,000) and Ellsworth ($8,000) that allowed those towns to plant trees in town parks. “In addition to helping communities with general maintenance planning, these grants allow towns to respond to threats from invasive pests such as the emerald ash borer. They can also support community beautification through street tree planting,” said Santerre. The planning and education grants have a maximum award of $10,000, while the planting and maintenance grants have a maximum award of $8,000. To be eligible to apply for a 2015 assistance grant, all applicants must attend a grant workshop before submitting an application. The required grant training will be held Monday, November 9th from 2-4 PM via the web. The workshop will cover such topics as grant writing, project development, sustainable community forestry management and grant administration. Connection details will be sent to those preregistered to attend.  Grant applications are due by 5:00 p.m., Friday, December 4.  To learn more about the Project Canopy Assistance program and to sign up for a grant workshop, contact Project Canopy Director Jan Ames Santerre at (207) 287-4987. More information is available on the web at http://www.projectcanopy.me.

Town of Lebanon 2015 Tax Maps Now Available Online in PDF Format.

Lebanon Tax Maps for 2015 are now available online at the Town of Lebanon website!!

Click on the link below to view individual maps or download.
Each map is approximately 24x30 inches.
"Overall Map" shows the Town of Lebanon.
"Map Index" shows the same region overlayed with individual map numbers.

 

To View All Lebanon 2015 Tax Maps, CLICK HERE:

http://www.lebanon-me.org/assessor/pages/2015-tax-maps

 

 

Veterans Legacy Project Preserves Maine Heroes' Legacies

 

 

 

11/02/2015 10:55 AM EST

   Governor Paul R. LePage and First Lady Ann M. LePage Tuesday will join Bureau of Veterans Services director Adria Horn, veterans and their families to announce the Maine Veterans Legacy Project, a program helping to preserve the living histories of veterans.

The Veterans Legacy Project provides an opportunity for all generations of Maine families to connect with our military heroes, and enables citizens to actively volunteer to protect American history.

The Bureau of Veterans Services created the Maine Veterans Legacy Project with the mission of preserving Maine history by collecting first-person accounts of those who defended the United States during wartime. The Bureau of Veterans Services collaborated with a Maine media partner to film and produce the interviews and the State of Maine Archives will file the interviews, which will be made available to the public for view.

The Office of the Governor and the Bureau of Veterans' Services invite members of the public and the media to learn more about the project on Tuesday, November 3 at 10:00 a.m. in the Hall of Flags.

WHEN: Tuesday, November 3, 2015

WHERE: Hall of Flags, State Capitol Building, Augusta

Donations During Maine's Deer Season provide meat to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and households across the state.

Governor LePage urges support for Hunters for the Hungry Program 

Donations During Maine's Deer Season provide meat to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and households across the state 

 

 

AUGUSTA – With the 2015 hunting season underway, Governor Paul R. LePage is again urging Maine hunters to consider supporting the Hunters for the Hungry Program by donating all or part of their harvest to feed families in need. The popular program provides a means for Maine hunters, as well as hunters from other states, to donate harvested game to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and households with a medical need.

“The Hunters for the Hungry Program is a way that Maine hunters can pursue a sport they love and help their neighbors at the same time,” said Governor LePage. “Donations can provide meat to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and households across the state. The fact that this program has grown so steadily is both a testament to the need and the generosity of Mainers.”  

Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Commissioner Walt Whitcomb noted that since its establishment in 1996, the Hunters for the Hungry Program has provided thousands of nutritious meals to people across the state.

“Since 1996, Maine sportsmen and women have contributed to a program that provides nutritious meals to people across Maine,” said Whitcomb. “The Hunters for the Hungry Program puts high quality, native protein on the tables of Maine families.”

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry distributes many types of donations to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and households with a medical need. The Hunters for the Hungry Program is part of the Department’s Emergency Food Assistance Program. It is done in cooperation with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s wardens, Maine State Troopers and hunters, are all working towards a common goal of helping fellow Mainers.

The program accepts bear, deer and moose donations. Road kill donations are also accepted, provided the meat is not damaged. Hunters do not pay for the processing of donated meat. Meat processing costs are paid for by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry or the charity that receives the food. Hunters choosing to keep their game can still donate a few pounds to the program. Meat processors that are interested in getting involved with the program and learning how it works should call 207-287-7513.

For more information, to donate, or to get connected to a Hunters for the Hungry participating meat processor call toll free, 1-888-4DEERME (1-888-433-3763). The program also has a Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maine-Hunters-for-the-Hungry/197411763763406

For more information about The Emergency Food Assistance Program:

http://www.maine.gov/dacf/ard/tefap/index.shtml

For more information about the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, go to: http://www.maine.gov/dacf

Maine Marks National Apprenticeship Week by Graduating First Ever Class of Heathcare Apprentices, November 2, 2015

AUGUSTA—Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette will give remarks on the value of apprenticeship and congratulate the first-ever class of healthcare apprentices for nursing in Maine at MaineGeneral Medical Center on Monday, November 2, 2015. She will present certificates of apprenticeship to more than a dozen MaineGeneral nurses.  The commissioner, MaineGeneral staff and graduates will be available to media after the ceremony.  National Apprenticeship Week is November 2–8, 2015. Joan Dolan, director of apprenticeship and strategic partnerships for the department will also be available for interviews about the overall importance of apprenticeship for Maine employers and job seekers. The Maine Apprenticeship Program (MAP) helps mobilize Maine's workforce with structured, on-the-job learning in traditional industries such as construction and manufacturing, as well as new emerging industries such as health care, information technology, energy, telecommunications and more. Students earn while they learn, and often avoid amassing debt while earning degrees in high-demand occupations. The schedule is as follows: 10:30                      Welcome                                         Chuck Hays, CEO, MaineGeneral Health 10:32                    Apprenticeship in Maine                Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette 10:40                    Importance of Apprenticeship to MaineGeneral     Chuck Hays, CEO, MGH                          10:45                    MaineGeneral’s Experience                         Jennifer Riggs, VP, Chief Nursing Officer 10:50                    Experience of a MGMC Apprentice            Naomi Miller, Graduating Apprentice 10:55                    Awarding of Apprenticeship Certificates   When:  Monday, Nov. 2, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.   Where: First Floor Conference Rooms MaineGeneral Alfond Center for Health 35 Medical Center Parkway, Augusta

Maine Governor LePage Highlights Initiative to make Occupational Licensing Easier and Faster for Returning Military Veterans.

Governor and Commissioner Highlight Initiative to Make Occupational Licensing Easier and Faster for Veterans--Assistance Available at November 10th Veterans Licensing Event

10/30/2015 01:50 PM EDT

In advance of Veterans Day, Governor Paul R. LePage and Commissioner Anne Head are highlighting an ongoing initiative at the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation (DPFR) to make occupational licensing in several professions quicker and easier for veterans with relevant military training and experience.

Governor LePage signed Public Law Chapter 603 in 2012 to ensure that veterans are given full credit for applicable military training and experience when they apply for an occupational license from the Department's Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation. In 2013, the Governor signed Public Law Chapter 311, which builds on the 2012 measure.

"The people of Maine are tremendously grateful to those who have served," Governor LePage said. "We have a responsibility to recognize their skills, and to assist them in obtaining the credentials needed for good jobs. Veterans have much to offer businesses and organizations throughout Maine, and our economy needs their contributions."

These recent new laws provide the Department with greater flexibility in evaluating and crediting military experience toward license and continuing education requirements. It should also assist veterans and spouses by permitting them to acquire a license by endorsement if they hold a comparable license in another state for the remainder of the term of that license or until a license is obtained in Maine.

In addition to more flexibility, the laws signed in 2012 and 2013 have led to a concerted outreach effort by the Department. Staff has been participating in job fairs for veterans and attending meetings of organizations that serve military members, veterans and their families.

The next event will be held November 10, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. in the Androscoggin Room at the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. The Department is located in Gardiner at 76 Northern Avenue. Information or directions can be obtained by calling 207-624-8605.

Additionally, the Department's homepage (www.maine.gov/pfr) features information to assist veterans in applying their military training and experience toward occupational licensing requirements. Details about licensing can also be obtained by calling Catherine Carroll at 207-624-8605.

Veterans are encouraged to contact the Department before applying for licensure. Military documentation that may be needed includes:

Copy of a DD Form 214, Report of Discharge; and

Copy of DD Form 2586, Verification of Military Experience and Training (VMET).

"The Department remains fully committed to evaluating and crediting military experience whenever possible and appropriate," Commissioner Head said. "Veterans are encouraged to attend the November 10th event or to contact the Department anytime to learn more about how we can assist them."