TOWN OF ORONO

COUNCIL MEETING

COUNCIL CHAMBER - MUNICIPAL BUILDING

 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2006 AT 7:30 P.M.

 

MINUTES

 

1.      Roll Call

 

Present:  Council Chair Geoff Gordon, John Bradson, Terri Hutchinson, Tom Spitz, Jo Carol Alford and Town Manager Catherine Conlow.  Mark Haggerty arrived at 7:35 p.m.  Absent:  Lianne Harris.

 

2.      Approval of minutes of January 9, 2006 and January 12, 2006

 

Moved by John Bradson and seconded by Jo Carol Alford.  All voted in favor, 5-0.

 

3.      Public Hearings

 

a.   Continuation of the public hearing to consider amendments to the Ordinances of the Town of Orono, Chapter 18 Land Use, Section 18-136 Planned Unit Development and related sections.

 

Public hearing a. opened at 7:35 p.m.  Planning Consultant Evan Richert gave an overview of the work accomplished over the past few months in regards to the Land Use Ordinance amendments that replace the Planned Unit Development with Clustered Development. 

 

He noted the following highlights:   

 

·        The changes affect the Medium Density and C2 zones as well as part of the F&A zone that is east of Stillwater Avenue.

·        Where multifamily units are allowed, no more than 70% multi-units are allowed.  30% to be other types of development.

·        Water/sewer maintenance plans required.

·        Residential Density is to be calculated on a net residential basis, which will reduce the number of allowable units to be developed as compared to the old PUD Ordinance.

·        Detailed requirement of open space established.

·        New concept introduced regarding a fee in lieu of open space for specific situations.

·        Stricter guidelines for the treatment of buffer space.

·        Clustered Developments will follow the review process as other major subdivisions.

 

Mr. Richert noted two corrections to be made:  On page 10, halfway down the chart delete, “outside required buffer areas”, and the third box from the bottom of the chart should be changed from “…60% …” to “… 50% of the total area”. 

 

Opponents: None.  Proponents: None.  Public hearing b. closed at 7:43 p.m.

 

Mr. Haggerty asked if the buffer requirement was adequate, specifically for commercial areas. Mr. Struck stated that buffer provisions for zone changes are addressed in the Land Use Ordinance.  Ms. Hutchinson requested a copy of that section of the Ordinance for Councilors.

 

John Bradson thanked Mr. Richert for his work with the Council and Planning Board on the amendments.

 

b.      A Class XI – Malt, Spirituous & Vinous Liquor License, Victualer’s License and Special Amusement Permit for Music, Dancing & Entertainment for Crow Valley Brewing Company d/b/a Bear Brew Pub, 36 Main Street. [To be continued to the March 27, 2006 Council Meeting]

 

Public hearing b. opened at 7:47 p.m.  Geoff Gordon continued the public hearing to a Special Council Meeting to be held March 27, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. due to issues that are pending and information needed for the license.

 

 4.  Acknowledgments by Council Members

 

Councilors thanked Evan Richert for his work with the PUD/Clustered Development Ordinance amendments. 

 

Tom Spitz announced that the next Bicentennial Committee’s lecture series will feature “The Penobscot Nation” and will be held on Thursday, February 16, 2006.

 

John Bradson thanked the school administrators and teachers for their work in handling a difficult situation last Thursday and Friday.  He noted it was an opportunity for the town and school to address the protocol.

 

Geoff Gordon reminded residents that the Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. All voting will take place at the municipal building.  Absentee ballots are now available.

 

5.      Unfinished Business - None

 

6.      Consent Agenda

 

Geoff Gordon requested that Order 06-25 be pulled from the Consent Agenda and taken up separately under New Business.

 

Order 06-19    Order, appointing Stephen Murray to fill the Orono-Veazie Water District 5-year seat, expiring December 2010.

 

Order 06-20    Order, reappointing Lianne Harris as the OEDC Council Representative for a three-year term, expiring February 2009.

 

Order 06-21    Order, appointing Catherine Conlow as Representative to the Maine Service Centers Coalition for a 1-Year Term.

 

Order 06-22   Order, setting the hours of voting as 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and the polling place as the Council Chamber of the Municipal Building for Wards 1 & 2 for the March 14, 2006 Municipal Election.

 

Order 06-23   Order, changing the hours that the Registrar will accept registrations of applicants who appear in person as follows: On the last five business days before the March 14, 2006 Municipal Election, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. [MRSA 21A, Sec. 122.6.A (2) and (8)].

 

Order 06-24   Order, approving the Town Clerk’s appointment of Warden and Assistant Warden for the March 14, 2006 Municipal Election:

 

                                                            Warden – Stanley Borodko

                                                            Assistant Warden – John Bradson

 

Order 06-26    Order, committing a true list of sewerage service assessments to Wanda J. Thomas, Treasurer, in the amount of $116,754.12.

 

Moved by Terri Hutchinson and seconded by John Bradson to approve the Consent Agenda.  All voted in favor, 6-0.

 

7.      New Business

 

Order 06-25   Order, pursuant to 29-A M.R.S.A., Sec. 2395, the Council hereby designates Bennoch Road from Main Street to the Orono-Old Town Line and Forest Avenue from Main Street to I-95 as being closed to vehicular traffic carrying heavy loads from February 14, 2006 until May 1, 2006, when necessary, unless solidly frozen and that said road shall be subject to the same restrictions and definitions of heavy loads as promulgated by the Department of Transportation for State and State Aid Highways, which restrictions are incorporated herein by reference. The Town Manager shall be authorized to cause the enforcement thereof.

 

Moved by Terri Hutchinson and seconded by John Bradson to friendly amend the order to include, Taylor Road from Forest Avenue to Putnam Road.  All voted in favor of the order as amended, 6-0.

 

Order 06-27    Order, approving up to $1,100 to be spent on advertising in the Bangor Daily News and Penobscot Times special editions of the Bicentennial Celebration, and that $400 be given to the Bicentennial Committee for future needs, the total of $1,500 to be drawn from the Council Reserve Special Projects Fund.

 

Moved by John Bradson and seconded by Jo Carol Alford.  All voted in favor, 6-0.

 

Order 06-28    Order, approving the prior transfers totaling $200,000 to the Orono Library Foundation from the Durst Fund, which was held by the Orono Library Board of Trustees.

 

Moved by John Bradson and seconded by Terri Hutchinson to friendly amend the order to include the corrected amount of “$200,717.25”.  All voted in favor of the order as amended, 6-0.

 

Order 06-29    Order, approving the $3,000 Computer Service Fee for the Minerva Libraries System for the Orono Public Library and approving the $1,600 for the purchase of the barcodes, the total to be drawn from the Library Operating Budget.

 

Moved by John Bradson and seconded by Terri Hutchinson.  All voted in favor, 6-0.

 

8.      Future Agenda Items/Items of Concern

 

John Bradson stated he was glad to hear that the Public Safety Director and the School Superintendent would be meeting to discuss protocols for emergency situations.  Public Safety Director Cliff Wells commented that he was meeting with Vice Principal Sinclair tomorrow to evaluate the emergency plan and improve communications.

 

Mark Haggerty requested a meeting to be able to analyze what it will mean to the Town to have a new library and what the operating costs will be.  He commented he was glad to receive the school budget expenditure analysis, but would also like to see the tuition/revenues and how they compare to the projections.  He requested assistance in analyzing the numbers for both the town and school and asked that School Superintendent Clenchy provide the tuition figures.

 

Geoff Gordon requested that the Operations Committee meet to discuss the future of the landfill.  He commented that Kiwanis needs to know the status for their summer auction.  Ms. Conlow stated she would be providing the Committee with the financial figures and options for the landfill in March.

 

9.      Public Petitions - None

 

10.  Public Comments

 

Sally Jacobs thanked the Town on behalf of the citizens for the work done on the sewer/trail easement by the Stillwater River.  Ms. Conlow stated she would pass the compliment on to Paul Wintle, Superintendent of the WPCF.

 

11.   Adjournment

 

At 8:23 p.m., John Bradson moved and Terri Hutchinson seconded to adjourn.  All voted in favor,

6-0.  

 

Minutes are not verbatim.  A tape-recorded version is available in the Town Office.

Respectfully submitted, Nancy W. Ward, Administrative Assistant