Pair of ordinances on the ballot in D-F

Two police officers commended for their ‘heroic action’

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — “On Nov. 4 not only do we have a state referendum ballot with multiple questions but we have a local referendum ballot with two questions on it,” Town Manager Jack Clukey said during an Oct. 13 selectmen’s meeting, before the board voted to formally sign the warrant for Tuesday, Nov. 4. The pair of questions will ask residents if a fireworks ordinance and a traffic incident ordinance be enacted.

    Clukey explained the proposed fireworks ordinance would prohibit the sale of consumer fireworks, putting in place regulations similar to before when the state law was changed several years ago. “It would not extend to things that previously were legal,” Clukey said, mentioning sparklers as an example and saying the state fire marshal’s definition of fireworks would be used in the ordinance.
    He said the second ordinance to be decided on Nov. 4 originated after “recognizing the ability, because of our location along a highway route, that we can have traffic incidences with first-responders that can bring costs to us,” Clukey continued, “It is just a case where people are moving through and there’s an incident that requires a road to be closed off.”
    The ordinance would allow town officials to bill for cost, including personnel, equipment and supplies, when responding to traffic incidents. The potential charges would only be applied to non-residents, non-property owners and those who do not work in Dover-Foxcroft. Property damage costs would still apply to all drivers.
    Select Vice Chair Cindy Freeman Cyr asked if the ordinance would apply mostly to commercial vehicles. “Really it would apply to anyone, provided they are not a resident or a property owner,” Clukey responded.
    Fire Chief Joe Guyotte said over the summer an accident on West Main Street, involving a truck hitting a telephone pole resulted in the road being closed. “For seven hours my guys, as well as police, were rerouting traffic, the whole works,” Guyotte said.
    He said he researched other municipalities’ policies, with some having the ability to bill for certain incidences to help recoup some costs for emergency personnel. “The recouped money would go back into the fire department for incidents and a maintenance-type account,” Guyotte said.
    In other business, Lt. Scott Arno of the Dover-Foxcroft Police Department told town officials about “a heroic action by a couple of officers” in responding to a 9-1-1 call on Pine Street the previous Saturday evening. Lt. Arno said Officers Adam LeProvost and Warren Ackerman went to the home after an open line call came to the regional dispatch at approximately 11 p.m.
    The officers ended up finding the house was full of smoke and when checking to see if the occupant, a man in his late 60s, was inside, they found he had collapsed near the back door. Where the man had fallen made entry into the home difficult, but the officers were able to force the door in order for Officer Ackerman to enter. He was then able to move the occupant in order for he and Officer LeProvst to pull the man out to safety.
    “The victim was unconscious and they most undoubtedly saved his life,” Lt. Arno said. He said the man was taken to the hospital and discharged a short time after.
    The fire department arrived soon after the two police officers and put out the fire which had extended to the second floor. The cause of the fire is believed to have been from a piece of furniture too close to a woodstove.
    “Facebook said it all, it was the red and blue working together,” Guyotte said. “I commend the two police officers then and there for saving his life.”
    Town officials are looking to hold a more formal recognition of Officers LeProvost and Ackerman at a future date.
    For the last several meetings, the selectmen have made appointments to the comprehensive plan committee in order to start work on updating the existing near decade-old document. “We have enough names to fulfill our goal of 12 so I think we can finalize our comprehensive plan committee and proceed to meet over the next few weeks,” Clukey said.
    Seven appointments had been made in September and appointed on Oct, 13 were Dustin and Natasha Colbry, Jason and Robin Brochu, Will and Diana Vandermast, Paul Matulis and Sean Malone for 15 total committee members. Selectman and committee member Steve Grammont said the group, which will meet for the first time on Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the town office, can decide to reduce its size with full-time members and alternates if it so chooses.
     Two days before the inaugural comprehensive plan committee meeting, the selectmen will hold a public hearing on a cable TV ordinance on Monday, Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m. as part of their next regular meeting. Clukey said Dover-Foxcroft’s cable TV franchise agreement with Time Warner is set to expire next June.
    “Really our next step as we think about our cable TV franchise agreement is to have a cable TV ordinance in place,” he said, with the town currently not having such an ordinance on the books.
    “Things at the Riverfront Redevelopment Project are moving forward,” Clukey said in his town manager’s report. “There is a lot going on inside, you see a lot going on the outside.”
    He said the third floor of the complex is being framed and the second floor is partially framed. Most of the windows have been installed and connections to the water and sewer mains are set to be done later in the month.
    “Those windows look so beautiful,” Freeman Cyr said, with other board members also praising the look of the building facade.
    Clukey also reported the planning board has permitted the Dunkin’ Donuts project for West Main Street and the Maine Department of Transportation has also given its go-ahead. Construction could start before the end of the year.