Dover-Foxcroft pushing back budget timeline

DOVER-FOXCROFT — With public gatherings such as town meetings prohibited under an executive order from Gov. Janet Mills in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the annual town meeting in Dover-Foxcroft will not be taking place on Saturday morning, April 25. With the Governor also moving the state primary from June 9 to July 14 the Dover-Foxcroft referendum will not be held on the second Tuesday of June.

Instead town officials are looking to push back the schedule for remaining work on the 2020-21 municipal budget, as they discussed this during an April 13 meeting held via Zoom. 

“Last week it started to become clear the state wanted to move the June referendum to July,” Town Manager Jack Clukey said. “That has implications for us because we use the state’s June election for our municipal election,” he said, as the spending plan approved at the April town meeting then is moved to the June ballot for a final decision.

The budget advisory committee had started its month of meetings in early March but these were interrupted as the coronavirus pandemic intensified in the United States. Clukey said the group had three meetings left but these could likely be condensed into two nights. He said a public hearing between the budget advisory committee and selectmen was scheduled for April 1.

“If we resume that process we could conceivably wrap that up the second week of June,” Clukey said, providing restrictions in place are lifted in order for the public hearing and town meeting to take place. He said the budget advisory committee could meet remotely before then.

With Gov. Mills’ decision coming on Friday, committee members have not yet had the opportunity to discuss their meeting possibilities.

The town manager said the town meeting could be held in June and “that would give us time to have everything prepared for July.” 

“This is an opportunity to get through those various steps and get done on July 14,” Clukey said. “But what it requires is we have gatherings in June. I am hoping we know during the first part of May but maybe it will be the first part of June before we know.”

When asked, Town Clerk Lisa Ronco said the April 25 town meeting date has not yet been scheduled via posting the warrant but the town would still put out a cancelation notice to inform the public.

In other business, board member Gail D’Agostino said the idea of placing a banner across East Main St. — similar to how the town promotes the Dover-Foxcroft Shiretown Homecoming and Maine Maple Sunday breakfast — as a message of support during the pandemic was mentioned to her.

“Just something for the town to let people know we understand these are tough times,” she said about the banner message.

Clukey said the cost of a banner would be several hundred dollars, and Select Vice Chair Cindy Freeman Cyr said the Center Theatre marquee can be rented for a message at $25 a day. “We could do one day a week for a while,” she said.

“I think we need to be clear to tell people to stay home and wash hands and wear a mask,” Selectperson Jane Conroy said about the message from the town.

Selectman Ernie Thomas suggested an editorial appear in the paper, “It’s going to have a much broader message than a marquee.”

“It’s also important to remind people we are doing things like this,” Grammont said. He said the town office may be closed to the public with a small number of staff in the building on Morton Avenue “but people are still working, it’s not ground to a halt.”

“One thing to remember is it’s important to be boring now,” Freeman Cyr said about a way to sum up the need to stay home to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The board will look to use the Center Theatre marquee and have some editorials published.

Conroy reported the Dover Mask Makers Facebook group, which has more than 150 members, has sewn protective wear for Northern Light Mayo Hospital, law enforcement agencies, food cupboards, schools, nursing homes, grocery stores and others working with the public. 

“At this point we are feeling there is kind of a slowdown but there are still people without masks,” Conroy said.

She also wondered how daily Maine CDC reports say there are no cases of coronavirus/COVID-19 in Piscataquis County, and what the town’s role would be.

“I think our big role is our message,” Clukey said. “Presume it is here. We all need to assume there are cases in Piscataquis County and act like everyone else in the state.”

Police Chief Ryan Reardon warned against the public having false confidence. “I would bet next week’s paycheck we have had it here, have it here and are in a lull before the storm.”

Speaking on the zero figure of reported cases he said, “I don’t know what to tell you because I just don’t think we are there.”

In his report Clukey mentioned a snowstorm several days prior knocked out power to residents for multiple days.

He said the fire, police and public works departments were all working throughout the night and “everybody did an outstanding job to get us through this.”

Clukey said no one was hurt but a tree fell on a fire truck. He said the vehicle sustained some damage but is still serviceable.

The town manager also said there will not be a planned public hearing on the downtown traffic study this month but possibly in May or June. “We don’t want to shortchange that process,” he said.

The traffic study will be available to review, likely on the Dover-Foxcroft website, prior to the hearing and comment will be incorporated into the final version of the document. “Then it will be something DOT can use in its ongoing planning,” Clukey said.