NORWAY — A proposal to modify the moratorium on spreading manure on town land at Lakeview Cemetery near Hobbs Pond was postponed Thursday so the Lakes Association of Norway can get more information and perhaps adjust its proposal.
The exact reason for the association’s request was unknown Thursday.
No one from the association was at the meeting.
An increase in phosphorous levels and algae at Hobbs Pond has been a contentious issue for some neighbors since 2016.
A year ago, the Select Board voted to halt the use of manure at the cemetery on Watson Road.
The association, a volunteer group of residents dedicated to preserving the health and beauty of the town’s lakes, tested the water in the pond in an effort to discover the source of the pollution causing the algae. A preliminary report released in February revealed the presence of cow DNA and E. coli in one of three sections of the pond tested — the culvert at the bend in Hobbs Pond Lane.
The group said additional testing was required to determine the actual source of the pollution.
The proposal before the board Thursday would have allowed farmer Jerry Cleveland to spread a reduced amount of manure on the section of the cemetery that does not drain toward Hobbs Pond.
Since the moratorium was enacted before the association began testing, it cannot determine if manure spreading at the cemetery contributes to the pollution or not.
Cleveland has maintained and state officials have agreed that his manure-spreading operation complies with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection rules.
The controlled trial will allow the association to better assess the impact of spreading manure on the cemetery. The association, in its proposal, also said it could limit any economic impact suffered by Cleveland and decrease the size of his manure storage pile.
In other business, the board agreed to close Beal Street between Danforth and Lynn streets Oct. 3 and 5 to allow the Fire Department to test its hoses between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The Parks and Recreation Department received permission to deposit the $1,200 it received from selling a 2005 work truck in the tools/equipment budget line and use the money to purchase a portable pressure water system for various projects.
The board also accepted a check for $2,282.91 from Norway Youth Baseball, which has disbanded. Next spring, the Parks and Recreation Department will use the money to take over the Little League program, offering baseball, softball and T-ball.
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