By Natalie De La Garza
Staff Writer
CARIBOU, Maine — Next meeting of the Caribou City Council will include a public hearing on a proposed Chamber of Commerce ordinance, which, as explained by Mayor Gary Aiken during Monday night’s council meeting, is an ordinance that would remove the chamber from under the jurisdiction of the city. Little discussion accompanied the ordinance, aside from officially reciting its introduction into the record, as procedure dictated that the time for discussion will be during the public hearing on Monday, Nov. 2; after the public hearing next month, the council will then be in a position to act on the ordinance — approving, tabling or voting down.
Two other ordinances were discussed during Monday’s meeting with mixed results.
The council approved an ordinance regarding spacial and setback requirements for livestock and poultry in Caribou’s R-3 planning zone.
“This ordinance is being recommended by the planning board in response to some issues that have been created for people in the R-3 zone that live in close proximity to their neighbors and keep livestock and poultry on their property,” explained City Manager Austin Bleess. “The issue really arises when someone is keeping livestock on a parcel of land that is a quarter or half acre in size, there’s just not enough space for the animal to be on that parcel of land and be far enough away from a neighboring home; it presents a serious health issue.”
The council tabled another ordinance to allow seasonal certificates of occupancy for mobile homes; earlier this summer, the council approved a consent agreement with Emerald Valley Ranches and Andy Ayer to allow a pre-1976 mobile home to be occupied seasonally by giving a waiver for the roof load requirements in the city ordinance.
As the trailer’s roof load (or snow load, as was mentioned multiple times during the meeting) did not meet the standards required for year-round occupancy, Ayre had requested the ability to be permitted for seasonal habitation of the mobile home for his agricultural employees — roughly from spring to late October.
Council tabled the ordinance citing additional information was needed for their decision.
Council also heard of a tax abatement request from Mark Nadeau, who was hoping to pay 30 percent of taxes owed for recently obtained properties that he’s currently cleaning up and improving. The council denied a motion to abate 70 percent of the taxes as requested and, instead, approved the tax abatement of 100 percent.
“He purchased those with the intent of cleaning up the blight in the city, saved up the opportunity of going through foreclosure and/or tax acquisition … I was going to suggest that we abate all the taxes,” said Councilor Phillip McDonough II. The taxes owed on both properties were approximately $600 and $1,100.
The next meeting of the Caribou City Council will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Councilors’ Chambers — deviating from their normal Monday meeting day to accommodate the celebration of Veterans Day. An agenda and council packet for the meeting can be found by visiting www.cariboumaine.org.
Absentee ballots for the upcoming election can be obtained in the Caribou City Clerk’s Office until the close of business on Thursday, Oct. 31.
