A Special Town Meeting will be held on Monday, October 27, at Memorial School, 86 Intervale Road, to consider gifts from Planson International to lease the former Pineland recreation building for two years. The facility would serve as a hub for new and expanded New Gloucester Parks and Recreation programs for residents of all ages and other town and community activities.
The meeting begins at 7 pm, with voter check-in starting at 6:15.
Staff will make a presentation prior to the vote, and a draft lease, projected operating costs and other information will be available at town meeting or from the clerk, according to a note on the meeting warrant.
The meeting warrant has five articles, as set out in the Town Meeting Booklet (below) at pages 3-5. Simplified, the five articles are as follows:
— Article 1 is to choose a moderator for the meeting.
— Articles 2 and 3 are whether to accept the two Planson International gifts. The first gift, in the amount of $200,000, is to be used for the building lease and related expenses, provided a two-year lease with the October Corporation is entered into (Article 2).
A second gift, in the amount of $100,000, is to be used for repair or replacement of the building’s systems or infrastructure or an extension of the lease (Article 3).
— Article 4 gives the Select Board general approval to take all actions necessary to execute the lease agreement and expend the gifts in accordance with the terms of the donor and the preceding articles.
— Article 5 authorizes the Select Board to negotiate and execute a proposed lease with some specific elements: a two-year term, a base rent not to exceed $12,000 per year and operating and maintenance expenses to be borne by the Town and funded by the gifts, and other terms in the Select Board’s discretion.
If voters approve these articles, this will move forward for a referendum vote at the polls.
The full October 27 meeting warrant and details about the vision for the facility, the lease, the building, expanded recreation programming and projected revenues and costs are included in the Special Town Meeting Book here:
For more background, see these NGX articles:
— Select Board considers proposed gift for Town to use former Pineland YMCA facility
— Pineland Athletic Facility impresses residents, prompts lively exchange
— Select Board hears updates on programs, revenues with Pineland facility; plans Oct 27 Special Town Meeting
