Redevelopment credit agreement reassigned

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — In September of 2012, residents gave their approval to a Riverfront Redevelopment Municipal Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district for the former Moosehead/Mayo mill site along the Piscataquis River. Under the TIF district new value created by the project redevelopment can be set aside and then be put back into the site.

    Per the TIF agreement on the Riverfront Redevelopment project, up to 95 percent of the value added can go back to the developer through a credit enhancement agreement. The other amount of at least 5 percent would be retained by the town to be used as officials see fit.
    During a selectmen’s meeting on April 14, the board approved a resolution concerning the credit enhancement agreement. Their resolution reassigns the agreement from the Arnold Development Group to Mayo Mill Holdings, LLC, who will be the property owner.
    “The activity that we have seen down there the last few weeks is interior sandblasting,” Town Manager Jack Clukey said about the Riverfront Redevelopment property. “I know the developer plans to be in high gear in the month of May.”
    Clukey said the interior sandblasting is expected to be finished within the next week or two. The construction phase of the project is expected to begin in the first week of May.
    On Saturday, April 26 citizens will gather in the gymnasium at the Morton Avenue Municipal Building at 9 a.m. for the annual town meeting, with the articles approved then going to a referendum ballot on Tuesday, June 10.
    “We have one article that would allow us to refinance some of our wastewater debt at a much lower rate,” Clukey said, about an addition to the warrant following a public hearing earlier in the month on the articles and 2014-15 town budget.
    He said if approved the town could then get an interest rate of about 1 percent, compared to the current figure of 4.25 percent. The refinancing may also enable the monies to paid back over 20 years instead of 25, which combined with the lower interest rate could result in savings of over $362,000.
    In other business, the selectmen approved the bid made by Apex Construction for the upgrade of the main pump station. The company’s bid of $159,600 was the lowest of five submitted, which ranged to up to $259,400, and Clukey said Apex Construction was recommended by Dirigo Engineering.
    “The goal is for them to get going as soon as they can be there,” Clukey said. “They would like to be done by the end of August.”
    Clukey said the state recognizes the third week of May as Arbor Week, and the selectmen voted to proclaim May 19-23 as Arbor Week in Dover-Foxcroft. “We are recognized as part of the Tree City USA program,” Clukey said. In the past the town has conducted plantings at the SeDoMoCha School in recognition of Arbor Week, and plans for the 2014 observance are still to be determined.
    During the next selectmen’s meeting on Monday, April 28, three public hearings will take place. “They are all related to CDBG applications for business assistance projects in town,” Clukey said. The hearings will cover a cattle farm project on the Shamrock Road, a downtown cafe and an application to assist a wood fiber cloth product business looking to locate in the former Creative Apparel building in the Pine Crest Business Park.
    The applications for the three grants, being prepared by the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council, will be submitted in May. Clukey said if grant funding ends up being awarded for the wood fiber cloth product business, “Significant employment would be projected.” He said estimates could be for up to 100 jobs within the first 12-14 months of operation.
    “That’s good that we have so much going on,” Clukey said, about all three potential business ventures in Dover-Foxcroft.
    “Public works has been busy out trying to patch holes and do what limited repairs they can do on gravel roads,” Clukey said, adding a storm drain on Union Street is being fixed after water was not going into the wastewater system. “We are going right from snow and ice issues to road issues,” Clukey said about the change in seasons.   
    The public forum at the start of the meeting had several questions from board members, with Scott Taylor inquiring about the former bowling alley and whether the structure may be deemed a dangerous building after the roof collapsed.
    “(Code Enforcement Officer Connie Sands) told me they expect to start construction this season, so they should be tearing it down,” Clukey responded, about the project to turn the bowling alley property into senior housing. He did say the parcel is blocked off to help discourage on-lookers from getting close.
    Gail D’Agostino’s question concerned the status of the Comprehensive Plan revisions.
    “We have put in the budget a proposal to allow for a consultant for the Comprehensive Plan,” Clukey said. He said if this is approved on the referendum ballot the consultant could be hired later in June and then start in July.
    Clukey estimated a possible timeframe to vote on a revised Comprehensive Plan could be in November 2015 rather than June of that year, “given the amount of things we would like to look at and talk about.”
    Vice Chair Cindy Freeman Cyr said she attended a budget meeting for RSU 68 the week before. She said the approximate two-hour session had a “really good conversation” with attendees — including selectmen from Charleston and Sebec — sitting around a table to look at the 2014-15 district spending plan.
    Freeman Cyr said with RSU 68 Superintendent Alan Smith departing at the end of June, school and community officials felt this may be a good time to reach to other area school districts to explore possible areas of collaboration.