MAPLETON, Maine — Only a few residents turned out for the annual town meeting held March 20 at the Lions Hall, where townspeople approved 31 articles and heard Mapleton’s election results.
Mapleton Select Board member David A. Dunlavey left a vacancy on the board when he died on Oct. 15, 2022, which was filled by Kim Archer during the town’s election. In other results, Dave Maxcy got all the votes for the town assessor, and Andrea Bard-Smith was voted in on the Sewer District trustee for a three-year term. Joshua Buck was voted in for trustee for two years as a write-in candidate.
Mapleton’s total municipal budget for 2023 is $1,418,793 with total revenue being $1,028,621.
“It was an unprecedented turnout for our annual town meeting,” said Sandra Fournier, town manager of Mapleton, Castle Hill and Chapman. “Usually we see lower numbers. We had 43 last year and this year we had over 75 that have come in and voted for their local officials.”
Last year was the year of grants for the towns of Mapleton, Castle Hill and Chapman with a total of more than $405,460 awarded. Some of the projects included a large culvert replacement on the West Chapman Road near Alder Brook, an emergency generator for the dispatch tower on Griffin Ridge Road and sidewalk repair for Main Street in Mapleton.
Mapleton and Chapman approved local liquor sales and onsite consumption at their annual town meetings last year in March. This year the Mapleton Diner submitted an application for a local liquor license that was approved by the Selectboard members.
All 31 articles for the Mapleton Town Meeting Warrant passed unanimously. Wesley Lavigne served as the moderator.
Townspeople passed a Solar Garden Ordinance to help the Mapleton Planning Board review and regulate solar farms coming into the community, which is a local ordinance passed by Mapleton and not mandated by the state, according to Sandra Fournier, town manager of Mapleton.
“We had to go through several meetings with the Planning Board and two public hearings on the Planning Board before that even reached the Selectboard for review,” Fournier said. “It took us over a year and half.”
The town passed Article 16, which raised and appropriated the Reserve Accounts to adjust for the cost of replacements totaling $211,967 for all town departments in their municipal buildings, along with LED street light maintenance and adjustments for the rising costs of equipment.
Article 11 passed a recommended $1,296 for property services for an accessing agent to be paid as a contract employee for Mapleton, while the code enforcement officer is considered a town employee It also includes association dues, advertisement and planning and zoning board fees.
For Article 12, Mapleton townspeople approved raising the ambulance budget to $127,673. Last year, the ambulance costs rose from $22,402 to $122,590. These are uncontrollable costs that are contracted with Presque Isle, Fournier said.
Under the passed Article 14 defines Community Services as a combination of contracts and services Mapleton already has such as mowing services for the town’s cemeteries. Mapleton also contributes to outside agencies like Homeless Services of Aroostook.
The total government expenses under Article 18 was $1,004,875 as the town’s share of joint expenses with Castle Hill and Chapman for the fiscal year ending on Dec. 31, 2023. General government was $316,644, highway was $344,253, fire was $107,787, recreation was $44,795, property services, which includes some fees and benefits, was $44,989, public safety was $5,405, community services was $887 and reserve accounts was $140,115.
The Mapleton Selectboard passed Article 29 that municipal officers execute contracts of terms of three years or less for services deemed in the best interest of the town. The three-year term will allow Mapleton to go back out to bid for a better deal, Fournier said.
