CARIBOU, Maine — Caribou city councilors honored a local police officer’s life saving heroics during their Feb. 25 meeting, and then introduced a flooding ordinance, discussed road repair projects, and reviewed progress on plans to convert the city’s street lights from sodium to LED to save money.
First, Mayor Mark Goughan and City Manager Dennis Marker introduced Caribou Police Chief Michael Gahagan and Officer Erick Bechtel, who saved the life of a drowning woman last year and who was recently honored by the Maine Chiefs of Police Association in Portland for his heroism.
Gahagan said the woman’s safety was Bechtel’s “first priority” during the incident.
“The temperature of the water and danger to his life was not a thought in his mind,” Gahagan said. Because of his quick response, he undoubtedly saved this woman’s life, which is why I believe he represents the highest standard set forth by the Maine Chiefs of Police Association.”
All in attendance at the meeting applauded and the mayor asked Bechtel if he’d like to say a few words about his award.
The officer thanked city officials at the meeting and humbly mentioned other officials responsible for assisting the drowning woman.
“It was a team effort,” he said. “I got her to shore, but Officer Marquis and the boys down the road at the Caribou Fire and Ambulance Department took it from there. Fortunately, everything worked out.”
Later in the meeting, city councilors introduced an ordinance that would regulate areas of the city deemed to be prone to flooding hazards.
The ordinance, which is available in the council packet for the Feb. 25 meeting, indicates that “due to changes in state and federal regulation of development within flood hazard areas, it has become expedient that the city update its Flood Hazard Area Regulations for compliance with similar state and federal regulations.”
The ordinance indicates that relief is available for certain areas in the city that are subject to periodic flooding, which can cause serious property damage, through flood insurance “as authorized by the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968.” The city “has chosen to become a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program and agrees to comply with the requirements” of the 1968 act.
The ordinance would allow Caribou to have legal authority in terms of adopting land use and control measures to reduce future flood losses, and for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to identify areas of the city that are prone to flooding, and for those areas to be zoned accordingly.
While councilors unanimously passed the introduction, the ordinance itself will not be put into effect until a public hearing, which is scheduled as part of the regular council meeting beginning at 6 p.m. on March 25 in the city council chambers.
Infrastructure was another topic brought to the table during the Feb. 25 meeting, as councilors discussed the progress of repairs to both High Street and the severely damaged River Road.
Councilors the previous monthunanimously approved an agreement with the Maine Department of Transportation to rehabilitate and repave the Caribou road.
The project involves MDOT paying roughly $500,000 for storm drain repairs. A second component involving repaving the street, adding a new sidewalk on the north side and installing ADA-compliant ramps is estimated to cost roughly $190,085. DOT has agreed to fund half of those costs with the city funding the rest.
In order to move forward, with the project, DOT must seek bids for the storm drain repairs. Then the city will be able to open bidding for the second portion. On Feb. 25, Marker informed councilors that MDOT anticipates bid requests going out by the end of February. Then the city can start to put out bids for the second portion, he said.
Currently, Marker said MDOT officials estimate that the project will be completed by mid-July, after which the second portion of the project will immediately begin.
As for the River Road, which was severely damaged due to runoff last spring, the city anticipates receiving a detailed estimate and design for a repair project from local engineering firm DuBois and King within the next two weeks.
The city has bought properties on the roadway and plans to realign the road further away from the Aroostook River in an effort to prevent similar damage from occurring in the future. This project was initially estimated to cost Caribou roughly $1.2 million, but the city will have a more accurate projection of the potential costs and project scope once they hear back from the engineering firm.
Marker also discussed the progress of a project to convert the city’s 618 sodium street lights to LED, which officials estimate could save Caribou roughly $100,000 annually. The municipality should be receiving a more detailed cost proposal related to the project within a week, at which point councilors can have a closer look at their options before make a final decision.
Caribou first began their pursuit of LED lighting when councilors approved a study in December by Real Term Energy, a Maine-based company that is sending out LED proposals to several communities throughout the state. They discussed the matter again earlier this month, when Marker informed councilors that the city would have to pay roughly $304,000 to buy the lights outright from Emera Maine in order to convert them to LED. That option would save the city roughly $100,000 annually, with the savings in power costs paying for the project in just three years.
Marker, during that meeting, said the reports require additional review and discussions with neighboring towns in order to make an accurate assessment. However based on his report during the Feb. 25 meeting, the city may be able to make a decision regarding the transition fairly soon.
