NGXchange

The Town of New Gloucester would like to thank the New Gloucester Fraternal Order of Eagles #4131 for their wonderful donation ($10,000) to the New Gloucester Fire & Rescue Department for the Lucas 3 Chest Depression System. The Department is fundraising for this device and the donation is a huge step towards acquiring the Lucas 3. Thank you!

| Joanne Cole, NGX |

Insightful suggestions and thoughtful deliberation at its December meeting meant the Land Management Planning Committee was unable to wrap up its draft solar energy ordinance by year’s end, as members had hoped.  No one is complaining, though, as the December conversation refined LMPC’s thinking about siting and scale of projects, what project proposals must include and who should review them, decommissioning and removal of arrays, and more. 

LMPC and town planner Scott Hastings now expect to consider a final final draft on January 22.  This timetable would permit a joint meeting and review with the Select Board and Planning Board in February, a public hearing in March, formal adoption on the town meeting warrant in April, and consideration by voters at town meeting in May.

Recurring questions for LMPC have included whether to allow solar arrays in any zoning district and whether to impose a cap limiting the maximum size of arrays. December’s conversation resolved that the draft ordinance will permit solar arrays in every zone, including the historic district, and will not limit their maximum size, except in the resource protection zone. There, ground-mounted arrays must be less than 1500 s.f. to minimize impact on groundwater or other resources. 

Member Don Libby was vocal in opposing an overall cap on the maximum size of arrays, framing it as a matter of principle and policy. “How serious are you for reducing the carbon footprint?” he asked rhetorically. “Are you serious or not serious?” Alluding to climate activist Greta Thunberg, Libby answered his own question, saying “How dare we not try to do something?”  

NG Parks and Recreation offers lots of activities for residents of all ages. Sign up for the newsletterfor January updates and to learn about openings in the after school program, Mad Science, family cooking, adult rec volleyball, family craft night, group fitness and toddler gymnastics.

|Office of the State Treasurer|

The Office of the State Treasurer would like to thank you for your continuing support of “An Act to Return Funds to Maine Property Tax Payers”. Checks will begin to process January 8th and continue until all 310,000 checks have been issued.

Timing of check payments
Due to the large volume of payments, we will process 20,000 per day for 4 days each week. A full list of payment batches and what municipality will be impacted can be found on the State Treasurer’s website. Additionally, we will update the public daily through social media; our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MaineOST/.