Hearing on D-F corridor moratorium extension set for Nov. 13

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Four years ago residents approved an ordinance concerning private distribution corridors, including paved highways, pipelines and high-tension transmission lines. The moratorium enacted in 2014 — meaning permits for these types of development projects cannot be granted during the timeline — was in effect for 180​ ​days.​ ​The​ ​moratorium​ ​has​ ​since​ ​been​ ​renewed​ ​eight ​times​ ​with​ ​the​ ​current​ ​extension​ ​in​ ​place​ ​through​ ​Nov. 21.

During a Sept. 24 meeting, the selectmen scheduled a public hearing for their meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 13 (a date moved back a day on account of Veteran’s Day) to receive comment for another proposed 180-day extension to run from Nov. 22 to May 21, 2019.

“This may be the last extension of the moratorium,” Town Manager Jack Clukey said.

He said on the Nov. 6 ballot citizens will be voting on three questions pertaining to the land use ordinance. Citizens will be asked if they wish to enact a revised land use ordinance, a land use ordinance pertaining to “Mega Projects: Transportation Corridors” and a land use ordinance pertaining to “Mega Projects: Large-Scale Water Extraction.”

A public hearing on the Nov. 6 referendum will be part of the selectmen’s meeting on Monday, Oct. 22.

Clukey said absentee ballots are available 30 months before a vote, so these will be ready by the second week of October.

Moratorium extensions can be put in place as long as reasonable progress is being made to address the needs identified in the document, such as the town continuing to work on the land use ordinance. The selectmen have said the land use ordinance committee has been meeting diligently to get the document ready for a vote at the November referendum.

In other business, the board joined other municipalities and organizations in recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The selectmen signed a proclamation declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in town, and the document was scheduled to be read aloud during the End Domestic Violence Days events hosted by Partners for Peace at the agency’s Mechanic Street resource center on Tuesday, Oct. 2.

Clukey said the board’s protection committee met earlier in the month and discussed the concept of a school resource officer to work in the SeDoMoCha School and Foxcroft Academy.

“Basically the schools are interested in sharing one between SeDoMoCha and Foxcroft Academy,” Clukey with the two institutions educating students in pre-kindergarten to grade 8 and grades 9-12 respectively.

“For us it would enable us to fill shifts when school is not in session,” he said, as the resource officer would work for the Dover-Foxcroft Police Department and could help limit the amount spent on overtime during school vacations.

Police Chief Ryan Reardon is working on a memorandum of understanding, which would include how much the town and two school units each pay for the resource officer. Clukey said when something is finalized, it will be brought forward to the selectmen.

Select Vice Chair Cindy Freeman Cyr said she has seen a number of news stories describing the importance of school resource officers and how they provide guidance to students, many of whom may not receive such help anywhere else.