LIVERMORE — Selectpersons Tuesday, Sept. 28 agreed town ordinances should be reviewed and streamlined.
The Economic Development Committee met last week and started looking at the ordinances, Administrative Assistant Aaron Miller said.
“We should be looking at our Comprehensive Plan as well,” he noted then asked if the Limited Commercial Zoning District really encourage businesses to move onto Route 4.
“The way it’s written right now, I don’t think it is with the 250 foot setback from the center line,” he said.
Streamlining all ordinances, allowing more development along the Route 4 corridor was suggested by Selectperson Brett Deyling.
“Maybe revisit some of our land use ordinances for residential and other things, make it more friendly for a small family that wants to move in and not take care of a lot of land,” Deyling said. “If we had an area where it didn’t need to be five acres minimum, then it might draw some people who don’t want to take care of a lot of property.”
Orrington has all its ordinances combined, he said adding, cross examining several ordinances isn’t needed.
“It streamlines everything,” Miller noted. It can be confusing and daunting for Planning Board members considering subdivisions and shoreland zoning requirements, he said.
“Let’s look at what the wishes of the community were back in 2008 (date of the latest Comprehensive Plan) and see if that’s where you are today,” Miller said. “Why do we have ordinances written the way we do? We’ll be looking at them.”
Selectpersons also approved spending up to $40,000 for shoulder work on roads that have had construction done. R H Stevenson will charge 50 cents per foot with the town buying the needed gravel. There are 23,400 feet of roads involved with work to be done on both sides.
It’s to prevent (snow) plow wings from digging in, Highway Foreman Roger Ferland said.
Because of driveways, some areas won’t need as much gravel, Selectperson Mark Chretien said.
In other business, selectpersons approved purchasing a replica of the Boston Post Cane to present the recipient. They also approved displaying a plaque at the town office listing recipients.
At the Sept. 14 meeting the board had voted to present the original cane to the oldest person in town.
In 1909 The Boston Post newspaper had 700 ornate, ebony-shafted, gold-capped canes made. Selectmen in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island towns were given the canes to be presented in a ceremony to the town’s oldest living man. Women were added to the custom in 1930.
“Scott (Richmond, Selectperson) had a conversation with Jean (Tardif, Deputy Clerk),” Miller said. “The upshot is we had erroneously given the cane out to the last recipient. It hadn’t been given out.”
“I’d like to get a replica and give it to them,” Chretien said. “If they bring it back, they bring it back. If it doesn’t come back, we’re out $150 and still have the cane.”
Holding a presentation and having a plaque in the office with the names on it was suggested by Deyling.
Doing both was suggested by Miller.
“Think of all the taxes this person has paid,” he said.
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