By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer
The Caribou City Council met Monday, for a regular meeting in the council chambers on High Street. Lois Faulkner addressed the panel voicing her concerns regarding a long-existing problematic pothole at the corner of Wright and Bradley streets.
“My mother and brother have spoken to people over the years, asking that this problem be fixed,” said Faulkner. Until somebody gets hurt/killed you guys aren’t going to do anything about it. It gets worse and worse every year, right now it’s a safety problem.”
In further discussion regarding the pothole issue Mayor Kenneth Murchison informed the panel that the city has been aware of this problem and stated that it is an issue that needs to be addressed. Steve Buck, Caribou city manager stated that part of the problem lies with abutting landowners, due to the fact that if a correction is made it will affect property lines/driveways.
The original 1931 subdivision plans provided for a 33-foot right of way for Wright Street, compared to the more typical 50-foot right of way. It was also noted that the layout is for a 90-degree angle in the street, not the normal standard design of a curved roadway.
Recommendations put before the council included allowing public works to survey work performed on the intersection in the spring of 2012; remove existing pavement lying outside of the 33-foot width of right of way and place a stop sign on Wright Street moving south and a stop sign on Bradley street moving east. The 33-foot right of way would be very tight for any vehicles other than passenger vehicles, but the double stop would alleviate currently experienced speed and lane crossover issues. A second option would be to convert Wright Street into a one-way street from Washburn Street progressing south and then east to the intersection of Bradley and Pond streets, both with 50-foot right of ways.
Councilors agreed to have communications sent out to area homeowners informing them of the two proposed options and asking for further input to this problem regarding the utilization of these two residential streets.
In other business councilors voted to approve a recommendation from the city’s investment committee to open city accounts at Savings Bank of Maine, utilizing their municipal interest-bearing checking account. The developed contract for services will be in effect for a three-year period.
The change in municipal banking is the result of the city being notified in October that TD Bank where the city’s checking account had previously been set up would no longer be providing an interest-bearing checking account. In order to a maintain service charge free account, TD Bank would establish with no fees a municipal account providing a target balance of $2,400,000 be maintained.
At the request of the committee chair Mark Goughan, during a Nov. 22 investment committee meeting, Wanda Ouellette, finance director, summarized the request for proposals received back for banking services from four of the six banking institutions in Caribou, which had submitted a bid. These institutions included Katahdin Trust, TD Bank, Savings Bank of Maine and Key Bank. Those banks not submitting a bid for the municipal account but remitting a reply were Aroostook County Savings and Loan and the County Federal Credit Union.
The municipal interest checking account established at the Savings Bank of Maine will include no fees and no target balance. The interest rate proposed is 30-day London Inter Bank Offer Rate (LIBOR) plus 10 basis points, which is reset the first business day of each month. The current average is .35 percent. Online banking is available to fulfill the city’s daily needs and Bank of Maine will provide the city with checks, deposit bags, night depository bags, bill bands, and coin wrappers at no cost to the city.
A motion was made by Councilor Miles Williams and seconded by Councilor David Martin to accept the proposed banking services offered by Savings Bank of Maine. The panel voted to approve this motion, with Mayor Murchison abstaining. Councilor Goughan was not in attendance.
Councilors reviewed a Daycare Facilities Ordinance, recently compiled (and updated) by the Caribou planning board. The document provides all requirements for daycare facilities, licensed by the state, including city ordinances. A public hearing was set for Monday, Dec. 12, to receive written and verbal input on the proposed ordinance.
Following numerous discussions over the past year, the council voted to approve a blanket letter for non-profit gaming licenses issued in Caribou. With this blanket letter in place, organizations will no longer have to apply each time a gaming event is held, providing it has been previously approved by the council. Any changes in dates or games (adding extra events, etc.) will still have to be authorized to be included or changed within that organization’s letter. The blanket document will go into effect Jan. 1, 2012 and be good until Dec. 31, 2014. Organizations must apply to the state for licensing as before.
The next meeting of the Caribou City Council will be held on Monday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m.
