EMERGENCY NUMBER Annual Report FOR POLICE – FIRE OF THE TOWN OFFICERS AMBULANCE & RESCUE For the year ending January 31, 2020 911 TOWN OFFICE – 547-3340 Fax – 547-5054 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9:00a.m. – 4:30p.m. Wednesday only – 12:00p.m. – 7:30p.m. Selectmen/Administrative Asst. Office - 547-3159 Selectmen meet Monday evenings – 6:30p.m. Town Garage - 547- 3913 Transfer Station - 547- 4243 HOURS Fri. Sat. & Sun. 8:30a.m. – 4:30p.m. www.sidneymaine.org Annual Report of the Town Offi cers of SIDNEY, MAINE for the Year Ending January 31st 2020 INDEX IN BACK OF REPORT Town of Sidney 1 Annual Report Town of Sidney Annual Town Meeting 2020 SCHEDULE VOTING on Articles 1 and 2 as outlined in the Town of Sidney Warrant for Annual Town Meeting: DATE: Friday, March 27, 2020 TIME: 12:15 PM – 8:00 PM PLACE: Sidney Town Office, 2986 Middle Road TOWN MEETING to vote on the remaining Articles as outlined in the Town of Sidney Warrant for Annual Town Meeting: DATE: Saturday, March 28, 2020 TIME: Meeting begins at 9:00 AM PLACE: JH Bean School, 2896 Middle Road, Sidney FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS: The Town of Sidney Selectmen would like to show support to the community by asking each attendee to bring a non-perishable food item to the Town Meeting as a donation to THE SIDNEY FOOD PANTRY. Town of Sidney 2 Annual Report Town Report Dedication John George The Town of Sidney is honored to dedicate this year’s Town Report to a familiar Town Meeting icon… John George. John was born and raised in Oceanside, NY on Long Island and moved to Maine in 1973. Not long after he arrived, he met a lifelong Sidney girl, Gail Philbrick. They married in 1976 buying their first home on the Dinsmore Road. John became the father of four beautiful daughters: Erica, Angela, Alison, and Elaina. In 1990 John earned his Master of Business Administration from Thomas College. John has been repeatedly recognized for his years of service and dedication to both CMP and Maine Yankee, serving on the CMP Board of Directors for many years. In 2018, John retired from Avangrid, continuing to stay on as a consultant for the company for special projects. He also volunteers his time with AARP to assist the elderly with taxes. As an active member of Corpus Christi Parish in Waterville, one can often hear him sing or play music at the Sunday morning service. John is a lover of life and his fellow man, spending his time golfing, playing guitar, gardening, refurbishing furniture, being an AARP volunteer͕ fixing cars, and a Knights of Columbus member. If anyone ever needed a helping hand he was always there. Time spent with his six grandkids: Gavin, Emma, Aiden, Natalie, and Cooper is always at the top of his list. Town of Sidney 3 Annual Report During his 44 years in Sidney, John has served his community in a variety of ways. He began by serving as a Selectmen in 1986 to 1989. Going on to serve on the Budget Committee from 1989 until current; many of those years serving as the chairman. John also served as a member of the Planning Board of Appeals for 14 years. In town, John is most known to other residents by his outgoing attitude at the annual Town Meeting. Always having something to add to the discussion on almost every warrant article, you are never left wondering how he feels about monies being spent and makes residents think more seriously on how “their” money is being spent. His daughter Ali said it perfectly about her father, “Tireless dedication to the classic democratic process that Sidney upholds at town meeting – he is a beacon of fairness and justice”. Town of Sidney 4 Annual Report Town of Sidney 5 Annual Report Town of Sidney 6 Annual Report Dear Friends, As 2019 ends and 2020 begins, I am pleased to report that Congress made progress on a number of issues important to Maine families despite the polarization in our country. In a major win for surviving military and retiree spouses to whom we are deeply indebted, I was proud to co-lead the repeal of what is often referred to as the “Military Widow’s Tax,” an unfair offset of survivor benefits that has prevented as many as 67,000 surviving spouses—including more than 260 from Maine—from receiving the full benefits they deserve. The high cost of health care and prescription drugs continues to be a top issue for families and seniors. To provide continued relief for more lower- and middle-income individuals, I led the charge to extend for another two years the medical expense tax deduction that I included in the 2017 tax law. Without this extension, nearly 20,000 Mainers and millions of Americans with high medical expenses, including many with preexisting conditions, would have faced an increased tax burden. In other good news, the CREATES Act I cosponsored became law. It will prevent pharmaceutical companies from blocking access to a sufficient supply of brand-name drugs needed for the studies that allow less expensive alternatives to enter the marketplace. Improving people’s health and wellbeing remains my priority. On a per capita basis, Maine has the highest incidence of Lyme disease in the country. In August, I held a Senate hearing at the University of Maine’s Tick Lab on this growing public health crisis. A comprehensive public health strategy to combat this epidemic is needed, and the new law I authored will do just that. In addition, I helped champion another $2.6 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health, our nation’s premiere biomedical research institution, including significant boosts for Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes research. Last year, NIH funded more than $111 million for research at 14 Maine institutions. To help prepare the graduates of Maine Maritime Academy, I secured $300 million for a new training ship, which will ensure rigorous instruction for MMA students for decades to come. Significant federal funding was approved for work at Bath Iron Works and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Funding appropriated by Congress will pay for three new destroyers, make a down payment on an additional ship, and finance infrastructure improvements at PNSY. As Chairman of the Transportation and Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, I have led efforts to improve our nation’s crumbling infrastructure and ensure that Maine’s housing needs are addressed. For Maine’s roads, bridges, airports, and seaports, tens of millions in federal funding will help make urgently needed upgrades and improve safety. Funding will also support housing assistance to low-income families and seniors and aid communities in reducing homelessness among our youth. The Community Development Block Grant program will assist numerous towns and cities in our State. The Aging Committee I chair has continued its focus on financial security for our seniors. A new law I authored will make it easier for small businesses to offer retirement plans to their employees. Our Aging Committee’s Fraud Hotline fielded more than 1,200 calls this year. Congress passed a new law to crack down on robocallers who are often the perpetrators of these scams. And a new law I authored will expand the IRS’ Identity Protection PIN program nationwide to prevent identity theft tax refund fraud. At the end of 2019, I cast my 7,262nd consecutive vote. In the New Year, I will keep working to deliver bipartisan solutions to the challenges facing Maine and the nation. If ever I can be of assistance to you, please contact one of my state offices or visit my website at www.collins.senate.gov. May 2020 be a good year for you, your family, your community, and our state. Sincerely, Susan M. Collins United States Senator Town of Sidney 7 Annual Report Town of Sidney 8 Annual Report Town of Sidney 9 Annual Report 129th Legislature Senator Matthew G. Pouliot 3 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333-0003 Senate of (207) 287-1505 [email protected] Maine Senate District 15 Dear Friends and Neighbors: Let me begin by thanking you for allowing me the privilege of serving you in the Maine Senate. I am honored that you have put your trust in me and can assure you I will continue to work tirelessly on your behalf. Maine is in the midst of one of the greatest periods of prosperity in its history and has led the nation in a number of economic categories over the last several years. Unemployment is at record low levels, wages are up, and state government has had seven straight years of surpluses. The number of children living in poverty is in a steep decline, and Maine now leads the nation in equality for women in the workplace and politics. Though we have accomplished a great deal in the past year, there is still much more to be done. Maintaining the prosperity that you have built over the last several years tops the list. We can do this by holding the line on government spending, doing our best to stay out of the way of local businesses so that they can thrive as a result of their own hard work, and making sure that government is the most fiscally responsible steward of your tax dollars. These will be a few of my priorities this coming year. Again, thank you for electing me to serve you in the State Senate. The 129th Legislature certainly has a great deal more work to do; but I believe that if we come together, there is nothing we can’t accomplish.