Officials cease involvement in border protection program, change dispatch provider
By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — Following an executive session during their last meeting on Feb. 2, the Limestone selectpeople approved a motion to stop immediately the police department’s participation in Operation Stonegarden.
According to the Maine Information and Analysis Center (MIAC) web page, “Operation Stonegarden II is a border security enhancement program, sponsored in partnership between the MIAC and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sector office in Houlton.” The page also cites that participating law enforcement officers work extra hours along targeted routes to increase visibility and presence in communities and wilderness areas along the border.
When asked for the reasoning behind their decision, board members cited that the additional manpower required to participate in the program as well as the wear-and-tear additional patrolling takes on the on the department’s vehicles.
The selectpeople also approved switching the town’s fire and police dispatch services from the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department to the Caribou dispatch center; the county had submitted a bid for $14,758.65 and Caribou submitted a bit for $6,942. The selectpeople agreed to transfer dispatch services from the county to Caribou by March 1.
During her manager’s report, Bernier informed the selectpeople that community member Harold Grass has expressed his willingness to manage the Limestone Community Channel on television.
“He’s very excited about getting started, and thank you to Harold,” Bernier said.
Bernier also informed the selectpeople that she’d followed through with their request last meeting to find out what it would cost the town to run the Limestone Community School without participation in the RSU; she informed the board that RSU 39 Superintendent Frank McElwain was “surprised we were asking for such a thing, he said that obviously to get an amount we’d probably have to go back to when we were a separate entity,” she explained, adding that right now, for the RSU to separate everything out for just Limestone would be too time consuming and difficult.
Bernier also discussed the proposed transfer of ownership of the former Limestone Elementary School from the RSU to the building’s current occupant, the Maine School of Science and Mathematics. During the last meeting of the RSU 39 school board, Bernier explained, the transfer of property item had been tabled.
Bernier also explained that the deeds of the Limestone properties at the time of transfer (into the RSU) had not been recorded as of yet, and that needs to be done before another transfer can take place.
She also reminded the community of the Citizen of the Year Banquet coming up, nominations for which are due by Feb. 10.
During the elected officials’ report, Danny Gaghagan Sr. complimented Public Works Director Mike Cote.
“The highway crew is doing an outstanding job,” he said, observing that the crew had been working particularly hard that past week handling the recent snowfall.
The selectpeople also complimented Limestone Police Department Chief Stacey Mahan on his “Good Neighbor” pilot program aimed at maintaining the wellbeing of senior and disabled community members.
“I’ve seen it in different areas and it’s worked very well,” the chief said.
The next meeting of the Limestone Selectpeople is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 15 at the Limestone Municipal Building at 6:30 p.m.
