Orrington plans annual meeting Residents will be asked to choose between two plans for town hall

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ORRINGTON – Residents will face 34 questions at the June 2 annual town meeting, which is being held at 7:30 p.m. in the Center Drive School cafeteria.

The date also is when local elections are being held, and when a public hearing is planned to discuss creating a tax increment finance district for a Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. transfer station.

Residents can head to the voting booths between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the town hall to cast ballots for two open selectman seats and two on the school board. The TIF public hearing is at 7 p.m. at the school, just before the annual town meeting.

In addition to the budget, residents will vote on a number of warrant articles at the town meeting, including whether to replace or repair the historic town hall, which has caused controversy at the last two annual town meetings.

“There is no bad choice,” Town Manager Carl Young said Thursday. “It just depends on what they [residents] want.”

Last year, town officials told residents the current building has not been up to code for years and is unsafe for employees because of asbestos in the boiler room and access issues. Residents last year shot down the warrant articles about constructing a new building and transferring reserve funds for the project.

This year, residents will be asked whether they want to spend $125,000 in undesignated funds to make repairs to the town hall building and purchase 2 adjacent acres or if they would rather spend $600,000 for a new facility on Tupper Drive.

To prepare for the meeting, selectmen have had the water and the air quality tested and have requested bids from several contractors.

“I think it [having two choices] satisfies everybody,” Young said.

Preliminary figures show a combined total budget of approximately $8.81 million, which includes a town budget figure of $2,101,1181, an increase of $135,668 or 6.9 percent; $49,372 for Penobscot County taxes, a $27,861 or 8.7 percent increase; and $6,364,716 for the school budget, which is $155,446 or 2.5 percent more than this year.

“That’s the highest [town budget] we’ve had for years,” Young said.

Higher fuel, heating oil, road supply and maintenance costs have added to the increase, along with the fact that “this year we’ve decided to take on a full-time [fire] chief and provide a firefighter a raise,” Young said.

The town figures do not include the projected $129,000 Bangor Hydro TIF, which, if approved, would be sheltered from state taxes and would be “going directly to a savings account” Young said.

The town’s property tax rate is expected to grow, Young said.

“Right now we’re at $11.25 [per $1,000 of assessed property value] and with the TIF… it will be 12 mills or lower,” he said. “We’re awaiting final property value figures” to make that number final.

“Most residents will not see increases in property values this year,” Young added.

At the annual town meeting, residents will be asked whether to:

. Authorize moving $110,168 from the North Orrington School sale for debt reduction account to pay off the remaining River Road sewer project loan.

. Appropriate $200,000 in undesignated funds to pay for removal of the Sedgeunkedunk Meadow Dam and create a rock ram fishway. The funds would be combined with already acquired grant funds and services provided by Cianbro Corp. of Pittsfield.

. Appropriate $120,000 in undesignated funds to maintain the Swetts Pond Dam.

. Allow the local Police Department to keep one used cruiser as new replacement cruisers are purchased, with the total number of cruisers not to exceed two new and one used.

. Create a tax increment financing or TIF district for Bangor Hydro-Electric Co., which is estimated to save the town more than $30 million over the next 30 years. The town’s first TIF district was created in March for Orrington Plaza LLC, also known as Snows Corner plaza.

. Create an impact fee ordinance that would set aside a portion of future development investments in town to make infrastructure improvements needed because of the business developments.

Seven residents are running for four seats up for grabs during local elections. Selectman incumbents Howard Grover, who serves as chairman, and James Goody are running against Patricia Gott and Lindsey Seeley.

Orrington School Committee incumbents Shawn Detour and Kathy Lawrence are running against Glendon Rand II. Terms on both boards are for three years.

The Orrington annual town report 2007-2008 become available today and can be picked up at the town hall.

nricker@bangordailynews.net

990-8190