Staff Writer
Local voters will decide this November on whether the city charter should define the types of meetings that the Caribou City Council conducts. The council approved a charter amendment that defines regular meetings, special meetings, workshops and council committee meetings on Monday after a lengthy discussion.
The issues were among several topics discussed during a session that lasted more than three hours. Another charter amendment proposal to raise the compensation for council meetings was tabled until a legal opinion is received.
City manager Steve Buck also reported that the overall picture for the budget this year is positive although the budget could change with the uncertainties surrounding rising fuel costs.
The Caribou Chamber of Commerce and Industry provided a routine quarterly report to the council.
Discussion on the meeting definitions, proposed by Councilor Robert Albert, was tabled from last month’s meeting.
“The idea behind it all is to bring a more compact meeting schedule for the year,” said Albert, adding that he believed it was appropriate to cite the difference between the meetings in the charter.
Under the changes, member attendance at all the sessions, regardless of definition, would be mandatory.
Voicing opposition to the proposal, Mark Goughan, another council member, said it’s difficult to attend every session held. He said that he has accepted the work of other council members that have attended the sessions.
However, Councilor Ken Murchison said that the proposal “gives us another tool in the box” to use. The amendment is “well-crafted,” he said.
Albert pointed to the Presque Isle City Council, which has struggled with a large amount of meetings lately.
“We need control over the number of our meetings,” said Albert.
Councilor Doug Morrell said that if attendance is required for sessions held with other city agencies, such as Cary Medical Center, information should be available beforehand so preparation can be made for questions.
Councilor Karla Bell made the motion to the put the amendment on the November ballot and Murchison seconded the measure.
The vote was 5-2, with Goughan and Morrell voting against the issue.
In a related discussion, a proposal to pay each councilor $40 for each meeting they attend, whether it be a regular, special or workshop session, was discussed. The maximum a councilor could receive annually would be $1,500. The mayor would receive an additional $500 and the deputy mayor $150 for their services.
Currently, the charter allows for $40 for each regular meeting and $25 for special meetings. The charter does not recognize workshop sessions.
The proposal was made by Albert in hopes that meeting schedules could be more efficient.
Murchison said that the proposal recognizes the value of council time. He looked at the practices of similar councils in Presque Isle and Old Town. In the latter community, two sessions are held monthly. One is a workshop where information is exchanged, but no formal action is taken. The second session is where the business is conducted.
“It’s very streamlined and efficient,” Murchison said.
Goughan said that he didn’t run for the council for the compensation.
“If we’re going to talk compensation, $40 doesn’t even come close” when considering the time spent on preparation, Goughan said.
Instead, the councilor proposed allowing council members access to the city’s health insurance program. Opening up that program would increase the pool of candidates interested in serving on the council, Goughan said.
Mayor Miles Williams asked for a motion on the issue. When no motion was offered, the council decided in a 6-1 vote to request a legal opinion.
In other business, the council approved a residential zone change after a public hearing on Monday evening. Changes were made in the Residential 3 zone, while the Residential 4 zone was eliminated.
The changes would “enhance the community,” according to Steve Wentworth, the city’s code enforcement officer.
According to Planning Board minutes, Wentworth has received several requests for the R-4 zone, including replacing a trailer with a new doublewide structure, development of a campground on an 80-acre parcel and a request to open a welding shop. These proposals would be accepted in an R-3 zone.
According to Wentworth, no other community in the state has such a restrictive zone as R-4, which was developed for executive homes used by Loring Air Force Base.
The vote for the zoning changes was unanimous.
The council also approved a reciprocal agreement between Caribou and Limestone where each community’s code enforcement official will cover each other in the event of vacation or other absence. Limestone’s official is Rebecca McBreairty.
