Fort Kent plans forum for proposed billing change

FORT KENT – A public hearing will be held in the new year to discuss a change in wastewater billing at Fort Kent.

The change would need town meeting approval. Hoping to have the change ready for the annual town meeting in March, the town hopes to hold a public hearing in February.

The change would concern the wastewater bills for people living in mobile home parks.

At the present time, the bills are sent to the owner of the mobile home. The town would like to see the billing made to the owner of the mobile home parks. The town has four mobile home parks.

The problem, as explained by Town Manager Donald Guimond, is that the wastewater ordinance calls for liens to be placed against owners when bills are not paid.

Since mobile home owners in parks do not own the land, liens have been placed against mobile home park owners. Sometimes the park owner does not know about the unpaid bills.

“It has happened that the mobile home park owner has been told of a lien against his property, and he did not know of the problem,” Guimond said.

The change, Guimond explained, would have the mobile park owner responsible for wastewater bills. The amount of the bills could be incorporated into lease bills for mobile homes.

It is much the same process now used for apartment building owners.

The owners of the buildings get billed for sewer use, and the owner incorporates the billings into his rental agreements.

Guimond said all the major towns and cities in Aroostook County bill sewer user rates to mobile home park owners.

“We are the oddball in Aroostook County, when it comes to this kind of situation,” Guimond said.

Since the proposed change is part of an ordinance, the proposal needs a public hearing and a public vote.

The change has been proposed by the town’s planning board. Municipal attorney Robert Michaud has also concurred on the proposed change.

The Town Council agreed with the planning board. The next step will be the writing of the proposal and a public hearing.