WASHBURN, Maine — There was a low turnout at the Washburn annual town meeting, but residents announced election results and approved a municipal budget of $1,980,482.
The budget figure did not include the county tax or the school budget, according to Town Manager Donna Turner.
Townspeople chose Jeremiah McIntosh as moderator to lead the meeting held March 21 in the Washburn High School Gym.
Daren Churchill and Frederick Thomas were elected to serve on the Washburn Town Council. Leland Caron, Ryan Rackliffe and Erik Vaughn were elected to three-year terms for the SAD 45 Board of Directors. Joy Cropley was elected to a two-year term for the SAD 45 Board of Directors.
Chris McCoy was voted to a three-year term on the Washburn Water and Sewer District Board of Directors.
Washburn is in the middle of a large Maine Department of Transportation sidewalk project that was larger than anticipated, according to the Washburn town manager’s report.
The sidewalk project comes with the construction of a new parking lot between the library and the Country Farms Market store expected to go in this summer. The bidding process for the sidewalks will occur this summer, with the work expected to take place in 2024.
Last spring, Washburn was awarded a $750,000 grant from the Congressional Direct Spending funds through U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ office to go toward a new public safety building housing the fire station, police station and town offices, which is located in the field across from the high school. The land was donated by the McCrum family. Reducing building costs for each department remains a work in progress.
The Washburn Highway Department completed building the sand and salt shed as a joint venture for Washburn and Wade. The sand and salt building cost $366,000, funded primarily with American Rescue Plan Act funds. The building houses the salt and sand, which helps keep the mixture strong because the salt no longer leaches into the ground.
Residents approved a $254,011 budget for the General Government/Administration; a $316,249 budget for the Washburn Police Department and law enforcement services; surplus funds totaling $90,252 as part of the grant to match the Maine Department of Transportation sidewalk project; and an amended budget of $60,000 for reclaiming and paving with last year’s budget being $40,000.
Washburn has finished paving Riverside South, Clark Street, Garage Drive, and the worst parts of Cross Road; most of the roads left for paving are Tabor Road and Everett Road leading to Caribou Lake.
The suggested amendment came from Washburn resident Deryle Sponberg.
Residents approved a $100,350 budget for the Washburn Fire Department; $664,980 for the Washburn Highway Department and Public Works; $112,131 for the Grounds and Maintenance Department; $90,502 for the Recreation Department; $70,905 for Washburn Memorial Library; and a $9,046 budget for various outside agencies.
Funds for the outside agencies were approved for Central Aroostook Humane Society, $2,902; Aroostook Agency on Aging, $1,000; American Legion, $400; Homeless Services of Aroostook, $1,500; American Red Cross, $150; Central Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation, $500; Aroostook County Action Program, $150; Salmon Brook Historical Society, $1,000; Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery Corporation, $100; Catholic Charities Maine, $100; Maine Public Broadcasting Network, $100; Community Health Foundation, $130; Aroostook Council on Health, $200; and the LifeFlight Foundation, $764.
The Washburn Police Department reported that the biggest complaints were about drugs, thefts and traffic.
“We continue to be short-handed and have only Sgt. Chandler Cole, police officer Hunter Bellanceau, and reserve officer Nathan Pitre,” the report read.
