The Caribou City Council met Monday for a regular meeting at which time the panel held a public hearing in order for citizens to voice their comments and concerns on a proposed moratorium on the installation of telecommunication towers. At previous meeting residents in neighborhoods near a considered installation site very close to the Hilltop Elementary School brought about major concerns voiced by property owners and parents of school children, regarding the health issues that have been connected to these towers.
Lynn McNeal and Mark McCrossin, who both live on Paris Snow Drive, a neighborhood in the area of concern, addressed the council. “I am here to ask the council to support the proposed moratorium, so the planning board can have sufficient time to research this issue, allowing them to make an informative decision.”
McCrossin stated he agreed with McNeal and wanted the council and the planning board to be able to make the best and safest decisions regarding the neighborhoods and schools within Caribou.
The councilors voted to adopt the third option regarding the telecommunications tower moratorium which, in part, would apply to any current application regardless of status and is not an emergency ordinance, yet it would still preclude acting upon any proceedings even during the 30 day period prior to becoming effective. Option three also states that the moratorium would apply to any pending application, regarding of status.
During the recent meeting City Manager Steve Buck asked the council to consider the appointment of five individuals to the newly formed Regional Zoning Board of Appeals. In a unanimous vote the councilors approved the following names. Bob Ouellette, code enforcement officer from Eagle Lake; Lewis Cousins, code enforcement office for Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill; George Howe, code enforcement office for Presque Isle; Don Cote, Senior Regional investigator LURC Ashland and code enforcement officer for New Sweden; and Kevin Tingley, code enforcement officer in Houtlon.
The newly formed Regional Zoning Board of Appeals will deal with any issues of concern that individuals may have, stemming from decisions made by a local planning board. The appointed code enforcement officer from any of the regional communities will not sit on the board in his/her own city/town but will participate on the board when it meets in another location. For example Caribou Code Enforcement Officer Steve Wentworth would not sit on the board hearing an appeal from someone in the Caribou community but will deal with issues regarding other municipalities.
