LIMESTONE, Maine – Limestone residents will soon be able to voice opinions on whether the town should keep or close its summer campground.
Trafton Lake Campground spans 49 acres, with Trafton Lake itself totaling another 85 acres. With no one to manage the site over the last few summers, the campground has fallen into disrepair and failed inspections. Costs to repair electrical wiring, repair plumbing and remove unused refrigerators could cost the town thousands. The campground cost $26,000 to maintain last year, though it took in only $12,000.
At a special town meeting in November, residents allowed the Select Board to pursue potentially leasing or selling the campsite and recreation area. Two people recently came forward with interest in leasing or buying the campsite, said Interim Town Manager Alan Mulherin on Wednesday.
Before deciding Trafton’s fate, the Select Board will hold a public hearing March 20 at 5:30 p.m. to get community input on whether the town should stay in or leave the campground business.
“If the town says close it, that will be the end of it,” Mulherin said. “If someone wants to buy or lease it, we would have to have another town meeting [to approve that lease or sale].”
In other business, Mulherin said that the Internal Revenue Service has released over $52,000 in liens they had placed against the town, alleging that officials had not fully paid employment taxes.
The IRS released a $41,879 lien for interest, late fees and penalties from between 2018 and 2023 and a $10,420 lien for a missed payment in December 2021. The town has received a fund of $860,711 from the IRS, Mulherin said.
“To date, we are paid up on all known IRS interest, penalties and fees and have no outstanding liens,” Mulherin said.
Mulherin also reported that Aroostook Waste Solutions will waive tipping fees for Limestone, Fort Fairfield, Presque Isle and Caribou whenever those towns deliver construction debris to the landfill in Fort Fairfield.
AWS will allow 500 total tons of construction debris to be delivered, with that total divided among the four communities based on their percentage of financial contribution to the landfill. Limestone will be allowed 30 tons, 6 percent of the total tonnage, Mulherin said.
The new program is being done on a trial basis until at least June 2024 to help towns within AWS get rid of blighted properties. If successful, AWS could extend the tipping fee waivers in the next fiscal year, Mulherin noted.
“If we do this next year, we might look at doing 1,000 tons total [for the four communities]. That would give us [in Limestone] enough tonnage to demolish two or three house-style buildings,” Mulherin said.
Limestone has received a county tax bill of $79,865 for January to June 2024 that is due before September. Since the county is switching from a calendar year budget to a fiscal year budget, commissioners passed a special six-month budget for 2024, Mulherin said, which requires towns to pay two tax bills.
“We’ll be receiving another bill for the July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 fiscal year,” Mulherin said.
Limestone’s Select Board will hold their next meeting Wednesday, March 20 at 6 p.m. in the town office at 93 Main St.
This story was updated to add the correct time of the public hearing.
