2007 Annual Town Report
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Town of Wells Annual Report for Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2006 and ending June 30, 2007 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Administration Appointed Positions .................................................................................................................... 12 Boards and Commissions ............................................................................................................ 14 Elected Officials.......................................................................................................................... 10 State Officials.............................................................................................................................. 19 Telephone Numbers .................................................................................................................... 9 Town Manager ............................................................................................................................ 6 Boards/Committees Budget Committee....................................................................................................................... 51 CIP Committee............................................................................................................................ 52 Conservation Commission........................................................................................................... 53 Historical Society of Wells & Ogunquit ..................................................................................... 55 Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Wells Water District.............................................................. 77 Library Board of Trustees ........................................................................................................... 57 Sanitary District........................................................................................................................... 90 Town Historian............................................................................................................................ 56 Zoning Board of Appeals ............................................................................................................ 60 Dedication ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Department Reports Tax Assessor................................................................................................................................ 29 Town Clerk.................................................................................................................................. 26 Code Enforcement ...................................................................................................................... 31 Fire .............................................................................................................................................. 34 Harbormaster............................................................................................................................... 37 Library......................................................................................................................................... 38 Police........................................................................................................................................... 45 Planning....................................................................................................................................... 43 Wells Emergency Medical Services............................................................................................ 47 Wells Parks & Recreation .......................................................................................................... 49 Wells Information Center............................................................................................................ 50 Finance Audit............................................................................................................................................ 79 Unpaid Real Estate and Personal Property Tax .......................................................................... 61 Cover Photo Courtesy: Bruce Savoy 3 2008 Holiday Schedule HOLIDAY DAY/DATE OBSERVED New Year’s Day Tuesday, January 1, 2008 Martin Luther King Day Monday, January 21, 2008 Presidents’ Day Monday, February 18, 2008 Memorial Day Monday, May 26, 2008 Independence Day Friday, July 4, 2008 Labor Day Monday, September 1, 2008 Columbus Day Monday, October 13, 2008 Veterans’ Day Tuesday, November 11, 2008 Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 27, 2008 Thanksgiving Friday Friday, November 28, 2008 Christmas Day Thursday, December 25, 2008 Regularly Scheduled Meetings All meetings are held in the Littlefield Meeting Room of Town Hall unless otherwise noted. SELECTMEN 1st & 3 rd Tuesday, 7PM PLANNING BOARD 2nd & 4 th Monday, 7PM ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS 2nd & 4 th Tuesday, 7PM STAFF REVIEW COMMITTEE 1 st & 3 rd Tuesday, 9AM RECREATION COMMISSION 2 nd Wednesday, 6:30PM (Meetings at Walter Marsh Recreation Facility) LIBRARY (Meetings in Library Conference Room) Board of Directors 2nd Wednesday, 7PM Friends of the Library 2nd Thursday, 10AM WELLS SANITARY DISTRICT TRUSTEES 197 Eldridge Road Last Thursday, 7:00PM WOCSD SCHOOL COMMITTEE 1 st Wednesday, 7:00PM (Meets at High School, Wells Town Hall, or Ogunquit Town Hall) ALL MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – YOUR ATTENDANCE IS WELCOMED 4 DEDICATION JOE CARLETON Although no longer a citizen of the Town of Wells, this Annual Report of the Town of Wells is dedicated to attorney Joe Carleton, who has remained a citizen of our community. Joe is well known as an attorney, an effective and fair advocate for his clients, and for the generosity of his time given in aid and assistance for municipal events. With his election this year, he will have served as Moderator of the Wells Town meeting for 25 years (1983-2008). Joe’s steady hand at the podium, his demeanor through issues contentious or easy, and his firm belief that the people have a right to be heard, and a right to make a decision have served this Town well, and we thank him for his efforts, even as we regret that this year will be his last in this position. 5 TOWN MANAGER This Annual Report covers the activities of the many Departments, Boards and Committees of the Town of Wells from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007. Spring storms were once again the central theme for the year: repair and reconstruction from the damage of the Mothers’ Day Storm of 2006, followed by the devastation of the Patriot’s Day Storm in April, 2007. The Board of Selectmen, entire Town Staff and residents of Wells are commended for their tireless efforts to clear trees, clean beaches, open roads, and repair bridges and buildings, to make the Town ready for its busiest season. Summer The beaches, trails and other natural attractions of Wells draw residents and countless guests and tourists during the summer season. Other summer programs and events unique to the Wells Community include the popular Harbor Concert Series at Harbor Park, and many well-attended programs offered by the Wells Public Library, Recreation Department and Wells Activity Center. In addition, Wells Harbor provides a scenic glimpse of an active Maine waterfront, providing moorings to many commercial and private boats, as well as access to the waterfront through a public boat launch, one of the few provided in southern Maine. Summer also brings the construction season. The Maine Department of Transportation completed its hearings on plans to reconstruct the Sherburne Bridge (also known as the Captain Thomas Bridge), that was washed out during the Mother’s Day Storm of the previous year. As a result of the comments made by citizens of Wells and Ogunquit, M.D.O.T. decided to construct a new bridge instead of replacing the large culverts that were previously there. The bridge was completed and opened in the Fall. The Town also received M.D.O.T approval for the plans to construct the Salt/Sand Storage Shed and a grant for approximately 40% of the construction costs. In addition, the Board of Selectmen approved an agreement with M.D.O.T. for reimbursement to the Town of nearly $300,000 for the emergency reconstruction of the Stevens Brook Project on Route One. Fall The new State regulations to limit the number of Public Safety Answering Points (9-1-1 Dispatch) state-wide were finalized, and the Public Utilities Commission confirmed that the Town of Wells and many of its neighboring communities would no longer be providing the dispatch equipment to continue its local 9-1-1 service. As a result, the Town had to submit an alternate plan to the P.U.C. and the Town ultimately chose to have its 9-1-1 calls relayed by the State Police in Gray, Maine to its local dispatchers. The Town is charged over $2.00 per capita by the State for this service. Winter Having endured the winter of ’07-’08, it seems hard to believe that the previous winter had been relatively mild. The Town’s Highway Department completed its season of winter plowing and still had a supply of sand to spare. 6 As part of the previous Wells Harbor dredging project, the Town was required by the D.E.P. to monitor the impact of the dredge on the marsh system. The Town had hired an independent consulting firm, Woodlot Alternatives, to collect the data over a period of five years following the dredge. A Scientific Review Panel that included the Maine State Geologist and other prominent scientists from New England completed