A step for bringing four questions concerning four Dover-Foxcroft land use ordinance items to a public vote was taken by the planning board during a May 28 meeting conducted via. Zoom. The planning board voted to move each question to the board of the selectmen, who would then make a decision to place some or all of the four items on an upcoming referendum ballot.

Since the middle of March the Morton Avenue Municipal Building has been closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting on Monday, June 1 the town office will be reopening for business with provision in place to help make the facility as safe as possible for the public and staff, as a plan was approved by the selectmen during a May 26 meeting conducted via Zoom.

Piscataquis County residents will be asked to vote on the purchase of the former Key Bank location in downtown Guilford to be the new home of the sheriff’s office patrol and investigation divisions when they head to the polls on Tuesday, July 14.

The SAD 4 school board gave approval to a 2020-21 budget totaling $7,397,862 during a May 12 meeting conducted remotely. The directors also scheduled the district budget meeting for Thursday, June 25 -- time to be announced at Piscataquis Community Elementary School. The total approved that evening will then be moved to a referendum for a “yes” or “no” vote on Tuesday, July 14 in the district member towns of Abbot, Cambridge, Guilford, Parkman, Sangerville and Wellington.

The RSU 68 school board approved a proposed budget totaling  $11,970,877 for the 2020-21 academic year, during a May 12 meeting at the SeDoMoCha School streamed live via YouTube. The directors also scheduled the annual district budget meeting for Tuesday, June 23.

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting all facets of the nation’s economy, including government coffers at the state and municipal level. Dover-Foxcroft officials are anticipating a near $212,000 combined shortfall between state revenue sharing and excise tax but adjustments have been made in the 2020-21 town budget.

Following a month and a half of remote learning for students and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, this method of instruction will continue for about four more weeks as the SAD 46 school board approved Friday, June 5 as the final remote learning day of 2019-20 during a May 6 meeting conducted via Zoom.

During the second week of April, a snow storm dumped over a foot of heavy, wet snow on Piscataquis County, bringing down limbs and trees and knocking out power to much of the region and beyond. County officials are looking to recoup some of the costs for the storm damage as the commissioners learned more during a May 5 meeting conducted via conference call.

Like their peers across the state amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, SAD 41 students have been receiving classroom instruction remotely for the last month and a half and will continue with this method through the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year. Teachers and administrators have been adjusting along the way with the changes being incorporated into what is now known as an emergency learning plan. The approval and name change was formally OKed by the school board during an April 29 meeting conducted via Zoom.

Months ago the annual Dover-Foxcroft town meeting had been planned for the morning of Saturday, April 25 with residents later heading to the polls to vote on the 2020-21 municipal budget -- along with the RSU 68 budget and state ballot -- at the June 9 referendum. Among the countless changes brought about by the COVID-10 pandemic is an alteration to the budget schedule in Dover-Foxcroft but town officials have a plan for a revised timeline.