RUMFORD — More than 300 citizens turned for the annual town business meeting Monday evening, with the majority voting to refer both the police-sheriff issue and the zip line question to June 9 secret ballot vote.
The secret ballot vote will take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the American Legion.
After a motion by Candace Casey to refer questions 2-9 to a secret ballot vote failed by a tally of 120-172, Jim Windover motioned to move Article 7, the police-sheriff issue, out of order and to refer that to a secret ballot meeting. The reason for doing this is that more people would likely be voting on this issue on June 9 than at the business meeting.
Action on Windover’s motion passed almost unanimously, and was followed by applause as close to 75 people got up to leave the meeting.
Article 7 asks residents if they wish to enter into an interlocal agreement with Mexico to abolish their respective police departments and contract with the Sheriff’s Department to cover both towns.
Earlier, Town Manager John Madigan said “The same exact article is going to be voted on in Mexico, except we switch Mexico and Rumford. Both towns have to approve it because the proposal was to serve both towns. There has not been a proposal, currently, to serve one town or the other.
In summation, a ‘yes’ vote in both towns will eliminate both local police departments, with a contract for police services with the Oxford County for coverage by the Sheriff’s Department. A ‘no’ vote will continue police services by the local police departments.
Selectman Frank DiConzo then made a motion asking that Article 9, the zip line question, also be moved to the secret poll meeting. This time, a hand count was required. It also passed, 148-87.
This is a request by Wow-Za! Ziplines, which had been meeting with the Board of Selectmen to discuss leasing three parcels of land along the Androscoggin riverbank so they can build a zip line park.
The lots are on a parcel north of Morency Park on the east side of the Androscoggin River, a parcel across from Rite Aid, and a parcel near the town’s snow dump on Rumford Avenue.
Earlier, Board Chairman Greg Buccina said, “Voting ‘yes’ will give the authority to the select board to lease the property to a zip line developer. So a lease will be worked out. There will be more questions answered and addressed as we go forward. This is just to get the process started. There’s been folks working on this for quite a few years and we’d like to give them the opportunity to proceed.”
Jim Rinaldo, a partner with Wow-Za! Ziplines, said, “If Wow-Za! Ziplines works out a deal with the town, we have to follow all the rules and regulations, permitting, shoreland zoning, whatever it is out there for anybody else, we couldn’t move forward unless all things are met.”
The zip line developers would be responsible for keeping a decommissioning fund and would restore the area to its previous conditions after the lease ends.
Madigan noted that the town is not liable for any entity that leases land from the town.
Rinaldo said that the issue of shoreland zoning has been worked out to the satisfaction of David Errington, the town’s code enforcement officer.
Finance Director Debbie Laurinaitis said the muncipal budget recommended by both the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee is $7,708,253.
While the proposed town municipal budget is up $172,062, the overall budget for Rumford is only $22,767 — less than 1 percent. That’s because the town’s share of the RSU 10 budget and the county budget have gone down.
Selectmen are also recommending $173,953 for initiated articles, down by $13,771 from last year.
The total proposed town budget, including Rumford’s share of the RSU 10 and the Oxford County budgets, is $14,971,332.
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