REGION — Election Day, Nov. 5, offers several issues for Bethel-area voters to consider, depending on the town in which they reside.

There will be a district-wide referendum vote on a proposed $2.4 million new SAD 44 bus garage.

The School Board voted narrowly 8-6 in August in favor of holding a referendum, and the proposal has been the subject of controversy since.

The proposal favored by the board would build a garage on district land next to the Telstar Regional High School complex on Route 26. It would have two bus bays that measure 9,500 square feet.

The current garage is 7,350 square feet and was built in the 1920s, and a recent report by a structural engineer revealed it has failing masonry and that the roof needs shoring up. Any snowfall this winter exceeding a foot would have to be removed immediately, according to the report.

Those in favor have spoken on the worsening conditions of the current facility and noted that the new garage would also have a bus lift, which would make work more efficient and safer. Workers are currently lifting 150-pound bus parts from an awkward position on the garage floor.

People opposed to the project said they were concerned about the overall cost. Some thought the board should have considered renovating the former Chadbourne Tree Farms garage on Route 26 in Bethel, an option estimated to also cost about $2.4 million. The Chadbourne renovation would provide two bays, 9,200 square feet of renovated space and 1,800 feet of new construction.

SAD 44 Building and Grounds Director Ron Deegan noted that numerous codes are not up to date at the Chadbourne garage and that it does not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

But some opponents favor defeating the Telstar plan and instead forming an independent citizen committee to study other options.

Marijuana

A vote on proposed medical and recreational marijuana ordinances will take place in Newry on Nov. 5.

There have been two public hearings on the proposed ordinances. There was a second hearing last week because the selectboard made changes to the proposal after the first hearing in August.

Newry’s proposed ordinances are for retail facilities only, not for growing or other activities.

Copies of the ordinances can be viewed at the Newry Town Office.

Referendum 

All voters will consider the following statewide referendum questions:

Question 1:  Bond Issue

An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Improve Highways, Bridges and Multimodal Facilities

Do you favor a $105,000,000 bond issue to build or improve roads, bridges, railroads, airports, transit and ports and make other transportation investments, to be used to match an estimated $137,000,000 in federal and other funds?

Question 2:  Constitutional Amendment

RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine Concerning Alternative Signatures Made by Persons with Disabilities

Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to allow persons with disabilities to sign petitions in an alternative manner as authorized by the Legislature?

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