FARMINGTON — Two meetings were held at the Community Center on Tuesday evening, Dec. 12, with all items at both approved.
The Select Board, which met first heard an update from Andre Cormier, executive director of Mt. Blue Community Access TV.
“This year we continue to try to grow the station,” he said. “We were able to make a lot of progress starting with our internship with UMF. We continue to do the work we do in the community.”
Mt. Blue TV provides live coverage from Farmington, Wilton, Jay and Livermore Falls municipal meetings plus the RSU 9 board of directors. It also covers Chester Greenwood Day and other local parades, historical society events, Mt. Blue High School sports events and other things when available.
Mt. Blue TV had more than 12,000 unique viewers this year, up from 8,000 last year. Views went from 20,000 last year to almost 35,000 this year. Last year 230 events were covered and this year more than 300 will have been covered by the end of the year. It is also working on a short film.
Long term, Cormier looks to provide more stability for the station. Franchise fees and how they are structured are antiquated, may need to be revisited in the future, he noted.
“Part of what we do is making sure we cover what happens today,” Cormier said. He is also trying to record what has happened in the past to save that as well.
Selectman Joshua Bell volunteered to serve on Mt. Blue TV’s board. He noted a board member had served in the past but it had been several years since the board had had representation.
Selectmen approved the PEG [Public, Educational and Government] and franchise fees for Mt. Blue Community Access TV. Last year’s amounts were $7,500 for PEG and $40,243 franchise for a total of $47,743. The amount this year is not known yet but should be within a couple thousand dollars, Cormier stated.
A donation of a Safe Pace Evolution 15 Traffic Alert sign, valued at $3,411, was accepted from Selectman Stephan Bunker. The sign will be used by the Police Department.
Police Chief Kenneth Charles was at an event, but could not attend the meeting, Bunker noted. Bunker had spoken with Charles about ways he could help the department and improve public safety.
“I had an opportunity to provide this radar speed control unit that is solar powered,” he said. “It gives a great presentation of what your speed is and gives a slow down message.”
The sign can be placed where deemed best to help with traffic control, Bunker stated. The stationary model has the capability of collecting lots of internal statistical information, he noted. Farmington has a number of areas where speeding complaints have been made, he said.
Bell thought the sign was a good idea.
“It will be interesting to see where it goes and what the results are,” Chair Matthew Smith stated.
The board also welcomed new Town Manager Erica LaCroix [who started Monday], renewed the on-premises liquor license for Tuck’s Ale House, accepted the resignation of Michael MacNeil from the Planning Board and canceled the Dec. 26 Select Board meeting.
With small voter turnout and few comments or questions, the special town meeting that followed to approve several changes to ordinances took about 12 minutes.
Less than 15 people attended the meeting, with five being from the Select Board.
Resident Aileen Kennedy asked what the adoption date for the Licensing Ordinance was as it was not included in the warrant article regarding changes to motor vehicles for hire.
While Selectman Stephan Bunker attempted to find the date, Selectman Joshua Bell noted licenses for taxi cab drivers would no longer be approved for “anyone convicted of murder, manslaughter or Class A, B, or C crimes against a person at any time.”
Resident John Moore asked if that would include Uber, Lift and other drivers.
Uber and Lift drivers must complete background checks, they are pretty strict on that, LaCroix noted. She spoke of having applied to be a Uber driver and being denied for having one unresolved speeding ticket.
“So, it is easier to become a town manager,” Paul Mills, who served as moderator, said.
Not knowing when the current ordinance was adopted would not stop a vote on the current changes, Mills noted. The date may not have been known when the warrant article was written, he stated.
Voters approved those changes then ones in the Zoning Ordinance regarding solar energy system performance standards.
Prior to proposed changes being approved in the Special Amusement Ordinance, Bell noted there might be additional changes proposed at a later date because there had been very limited enforcement.
Another change removed references to victualers and incorporated revisions to sections dealing with definitions, licenses required and fees and renewals in an ordinance regarding innkeepers, tavern keepers and lunch wagons. Victualers are regulated by the state and thus do not require yearly operating licenses from the town, it was noted in the statement of fact included with the warrant article.
Changes to Subdivision and Site Review ordinances were necessary due to an amendment to the State’s Planning and Land Use Regulation laws that went into effect July 1 requiring a long-term affordability covenant for affordable housing developments.
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