MAPLETON, Maine — Members of the three Select Boards for Mapleton, Castle Hill and Chapman set the mill rates for each of their respective towns for the upcoming tax season.
Mapleton Select Board members voted to pass Mapleton’s mill rate of 14.25, a drop of two mills from last year’s 16.15. It is one of the lowest mill rates in the surrounding communities, according to Rebecca Adams, assessor agent for Mapleton, Castle Hill and Chapman.
Castle Hill Select Board approved a mill rate of 15.80, down from last year’s 17.00, while Chapman’s mill rate was approved at 16.10, down from 17.35.
“[Adams] worked hand-in-hand with Maine Revenue Service in order to get our certified values to where they are at,” said Sandra Fournier, town manager for Mapleton, Castle Hill and Chapman.
The Mapleton Select Board heard an update on the two dangerous buildings within the town. One was for 1503 Main St. which had been sold to new owners after the original owners died in early summer 2023. The new owners are cleaning it up and upgrading it.
The second property, located at 1522 Main St., was owned by Ronald Leonard, who had promised to reshingle the roof and remove the steps at the property. It is the third year he has made this promise. The third property labeled dangerous is at 3 Hughes St., which is owned by CitiBank.
Castle Hill wanted the code enforcement officer Aaron Whitaker for Mapleton, Castle Hill and Chapman to look at a dangerous building at 1961 State Road, with a possible violation of a junk yard ordinance. Two properties on Turner Road were also in question for dangerous buildings and the town wanted the code enforcement officer to work with the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department on them.
Only the Mapleton Select Board was updated on the approved two solar garden farm projects happening on Hughes Road, one behind Maple Tree Estates and the second behind the old Kenney Farm and the one solar project yet to be approved on Mapleton Road in Mapleton.
“[Novel] may be thinking about selling pieces of that solar garden project off to other solar providers,” Fournier said.
According to Fournier, Novel leased a large piece of land on the Mapleton Road that was originally planned to be a large solar project, but they decided to do two smaller solar garden projects on Mapleton Road instead.
Novel is waiting on some parts for the two approved solar projects on Hughes Road due to supply chain issues, Fournier said.
Members of the three Select Boards of Mapleton, Castle Hill and Chapman voted on the ratification and approval of the sale of the 1993 KME International Fire Engine to Monticello, and replaced it with a new fire engine truck. The truck had already been sold to Monticello in July.
In the Town Manager’s Report, the Mapleton ATV Club has been awarded a $60,000 municipal grant to improve the trails around Mapleton.
An 1992 interlocal agreement allows the towns of Mapleton, Castle Hill and Chapman to share resources to keep costs down by working together. The result is one consolidated municipal town office located at 103 Pulcifur Road in Mapleton, where the Select Board for each of the three towns hold their meetings at separate times.
