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| Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet During the Caribou City Council meeting on Jan. 28, Mayor Gary Aiken presented former councilor John Boone with a plaque for his service on the municipal board. |
By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — It was the shortest meeting of the Caribou City Council in a long time.
Though the scant agenda was fully tackled in under a half hour, the council did touch on two possible policy changes — chiefly a small adjustment to the City’s Fireworks Ordinance and the possibility of creating a committee to review the process the city undergoes to put foreclosed properties out to bid.
A public hearing will be held on Monday, Feb. 11 for citizens to vocalize their opinion on a few minor changes proposed for the current fireworks ordinance; it’s currently proposed to amend the ordinance to allow permits to be issued by the city, instead of the fire department.
City Manager Austin Bleess explained that the intent of the change is to have permits issued by the police department, but changing the ordinance would also give the city some flexibility as to where the permits are available in the future.
The suggested verbiage stipulates that the Caribou Fire Department could still “restrict the use of consumer fireworks throughout all of Caribou due to location and or fire hazards at the discretion of the Caribou Fire Chief or designee.”
With the expiration of the 2010 tax liens on 15 properties in Caribou on Nov. 25 of 2012, the council approved putting the properties out for bid at their respective recommended minimum bids — but the topic inspired the council to discuss forming a committee to review the way in which the city handles putting foreclosed properties out to bid — from the way the properties are advertised to the way the bids are accepted.
Mayor Gary Aiken vocalized his concern regarding the fact that there’s no recourse if an individual bids on a property and then later decides not to purchase the property they’d won through the bidding process.
Councilor David Martin had his own concerns — particularly citing a problem with the city holding property when there’s still someone living there.
“I don’t know what the answer is, or what the liability is, but we have people living in buildings that the city owns,” Martin said.
Of the 15 properties placed out to bid during the Jan. 28 meeting, three were currently occupied at the time of the meeting.
As the concept of creating a committee to review the policy and guidelines was only suggested during the meeting, no action to organize the group has been taken at this time.
The next meeting of the Caribou City Council is slated for Monday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m., followed by a council workshop on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 6 p.m.
