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06/06/2017 02:30 PMWhat is blight to one person may not be blight to another, but if Westbrook voters approve a proposed blight ordinance, the town will gain a list of new criteria to apply when making this judgment about a property. The town also establishes a new enforcement procedure for cleaning up blighted properties that preserves an owner’s right to appeal a citation for blight.
On Wednesday, June 15 at 7 p.m., there will be a Town Meeting to review the proposed blight ordinance before a town-wide referendum on the rule occurs on Thursday, July 13. As previously decided by the Board of Selectmen, a presentation will provide an overview of the ordinance and how it was developed, but will not provide an opportunity to revise or change it. Instead, the entire rule as proposed will be weighed in a town-wide referendum.
A copy of the ordinance is on file with the town clerk for public inspection. In July, voters will be asked to vote at the Mulvey Municipal Center from 12 until 8 p.m. on the question “Shall the town adopt an ordinance to amend to the Code of the Town of Westbrook—Concerning Blight?”
This town vote is the culmination of a two-year process. A Blight Committee was formed by the Board of Selectmen to respond to community concerns. The body was chaired by Dennis Hallahan and included members representing a diverse group of property owners. Some owned property in the beach communities and shoreline areas, others owned farm properties or were from inland neighborhoods. Together the committee arrived at a consensus document to present to the public. Public comment on the provisions and language was taken at several Board of Selectmen meetings and at two public meetings. The committee, working with town counsel, then made some revisions in response to comments and presented a final report and draft rule to the Board of Selectmen for action.
In fall 2016, the Board of Selectmen accepted the Blight Committee’s ordinance report but, at the request of the Council of Beaches, agreed to delay any action until seasonal residents returned in June 2017. Consistent with that commitment, the Town Meeting is set for Wednesday, June 15 and the vote for Thursday, July 13.
Other Town Meeting Actions
In addition to the Blight Ordinance, at the June 15 Town Meeting Town electors will be asked to act on several other items.
Y Energy Conservation
Project Credits
First is a request from the Valley Shore YMCA to approve, as a qualifying community program pursuant to the Neighborhood Assistance Act (NAA), a proposed energy conservation project to be undertaken by the Valley Shore YMCA. This is the third year the Board of Selectmen has agreed to act on approving the Y for NAA tax credits. The action to approve does not have financial implications for the town. Approval allows the Y to apply to the State Department of Revenue Services to secure approval of tax credits to fund energy conservation projects.
The Valley Shore Y has been approved to receive tax credits to fund various energy conservation projects in each of the past few years. For 2016, the Y was approved by the state to receive $115,000 in tax credits. Once the tax credits are approved, the Y then seeks corporate entities that need to use state tax credits; in return, the Y gets a 100 percent grant amount equal to the credit. In the 2016 round, the Y used grant funding provided by Ameriprise Financial Services, Whelen Engineering, and Jensen Homes to replace the HVAC system for the gymnasium with a more energy-efficient one and to install over the gym a more energy-efficient roof.
For the 2017 round, the Y has requested the state approve $150,000 in credits. The credits, if approved, would fund projects to install a more energy-efficient HVAC unit and controls for the Y pool area and a more energy-efficient control system for the pool’s temperature.
Land Sale,
Spending Requests
In other action on the Westbrook Town Meeting Call, voters are asked to approve a property sale and to approve several appropriations from the Board of Education’s capital reserve fund to several capital project accounts.
Second is proposed action to approve the sale of certain property the town acquired for taxes owed. Ownership of this mostly marshland adjacent to the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge would be transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a price of $13,200.
The next three actions would be to convey Town Meeting approval of three appropriations requested by the school district from the Board of Education’s Capital Reserve Account to three capital maintenance project accounts. The first would approve $33,600 for the high school exhaust fan project. The second is for $15,870 for the middle school gym upgrade project. The last is to approve $20,639 for the schools’ windows and doors replacement project.
The Board of Education’s capital reserve account set aside funds to be used exclusively to pay for needed capital maintenance projects and capital equipment upgrades needed at the town’s school buildings.