D-F gains age-friendly community status

DOVER-FOXCROFT — An application made by the town of Dover-Foxcroft to join the AARP/World Health Organization Network of Age Friendly Communities has been approved, Town Manager Jack Clukey said during a Jan. 23 selectmen’s meeting.
“In December we put together our application for AARP Network of Age Friendly Communities status, and we found out a couple of weeks ago we were approved for that,” Clukey said, as the designation would enable the town to utilize AARP resources.
The next step involves the formation of a committee to work with AARP as the organization conducts a base assessment of the age-friendliness of Dover-Foxcroft at no charge, and develops a community action plan based on the assessment findings.
In other business Clukey said, “In December we talked about the newly-adopted marijuana, at least the public referendum.” He said the state has nine to 12 months — depending on pending bills — to draft regulations on how to regulate the retails sales of marijuana.
“We talked about how the provision gives every community an up or down vote to ban retail activity of marijuana,” Clukey said, saying a question on the matter could be placed on the June referendum.
“(The Maine Municipal Association) has a model order and that’s in correspondence,” the town manager told the board. “It’s pretty straightforward, it’s pretty brief at a page and a half.”
Clukey said the town attorney will review and comment on the document. He said the planning board is scheduled to have the proposed ordinance on the agenda at the Thursday, Feb. 2 meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Morton Avenue Municipal Building.
Selectman Steve Grammont, who is a part of a land use ordinance committee, said this group will take a look at the potential regular of where medical marijuana can be grown in Dover-Foxcroft. “We need the state to clarify whether we can regulate,” he said.
Clukey reported that Piscataquis County Economic Development Director Chris Winstead is working on a CDBG grant application for the Spruce Mill Farm. “I think it’s for development of some space in their building for storage and some kitchen space and probably a bit more than that,” the town manager said.
He said community officials will be sending in a letter of interest to submit a grant application by the April deadline. Sometime before April Winstead the Spruce Mill Farm owners are scheduled to meet with the selectmen to discuss the project.