Comprehensive plan hearings Sept. 28 and Oct. 24

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

DOVER-FOXCROFT — On the Nov. 8 ballot, residents will be voting on proposed updates to the comprehensive plan. Before then citizens will have the opportunity to learn more with a public hearing scheduled for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. as well as another during the selectmen’s Oct. 24 meeting.

“The comprehensive planning committee will meet Wednesday and have a final public hearing on the comprehensive plan we will be voting on in November,” Town Manager Jack Clukey said during a Sept. 26 selectmen’s meeting. He said this will not be the last session prior to Nov. 8 as a hearing was scheduled for the Oct. 24 agenda, meeting statute requirements that a session be held at least seven days prior to the election.

Clukey said consultant Gwen Hilton will be in attendance at the planning committee’s hearing Wednesday evening to answer any questions.

In other business, Clukey said a gazebo for the mill property riverwalk was delivered the week before and the structure is located at the start of the trail next to the basketball court. “We put the gazebo up out of the flood zone,” he said.

The riverwalk is nearly complete, Clukey said. “We do have the opportunity to do some things down the road,” he added, mentioning interpretive signage as an example.

In his report, Clukey said the selectmen would be meeting next on Tuesday, Oct. 11 to avoid a conflict with Columbus Day.

“Also this time of year we try to have the superintendent of RSU 68 and the Foxcroft Academy head of school come talk with us,” he said. Clukey said on Oct. 24 both Superintendent Stacy Shorey and Head of School Arnold Shorey will provide the board with an overview of enrollment, notable activities, changes from last year and more as well as answer questions.

Select Vice Chair Cindy Freeman Cyr said with Police Chief Dennis Dyer serving in an interim capacity through the end of July 2017, if he is needed for that long. “It seems like an opportunity to examine the needs of the community and the staff we have for it,” she said, adding the protection committee and others could discuss the police department and options for the future.

In July the selectmen accepted Dyer’s resignation as of July 30, but the chief is staying as the interim head of the Dover-Foxcroft Police Department for up to one year as a search committee looks at filling the position.