Dexter council tables decision on commercial solar ordinance
DEXTER — A decision on a proposed commercial solar farm ordinance will not be made for at least another month as the Dexter Town Council tabled the item during a May 8 meeting.
Town Manager Trampas King has been meeting with legal counsel and the specific differences between some commercial and residential solar arrays still needs to be finalized. Once this part of the ordinance is ready then councilors can review the document and potentially take a vote at the June meeting.
Last month Council Chair Marcia Delaware suggested tabling the ordinance so language in the document could potentially be revised.
Some questions then concerned the size of larger residential solar systems, which could potentially cover more land than commercial outfits and still be exempt from the ordinance, and the definitions of medium and larger arrays.
In March the council extended a moratorium on commercial solar arrays for another year as the planning board develops the more comprehensive ordinance to regulate what kind of developments would be permitted in town,
The latest moratorium will last for a year, as opposed to a previous moratorium that was only 180 days. It is the second time the moratorium has been extended since first going into effect in May 2024.
With the moratorium in place, the town can temporarily pause any new solar farm development while more permanent measures are developed. The moratorium is based on the development’s size, and does not apply to solar panels that homeowners or small businesses may install.
The idea of having a non-binding referendum question on solar for the November ballot to gauge the public’s thoughts has been mentioned.
In other business, the council accepted a bid of $523,335 from B&B Paving of Hermon for spring road work.
King mentioned King, Winter, Forest, Elm, Maple and Beech streets and the Crockett Road as travelways B&B Paving will work on this season. Adjustments are in the contract to account for oil price fluctuations and the contractor will stop if the budgeted money is reached before everything is done.
“We are working on the 2025-26 budget, I’d just like to thank everyone involved,” the town manager said in this report. He said the budget should be done by the end of the month and it will come before the council for a vote.
The Heart of Maine Resource Center’s Family Fun Day will be on Saturday, May 24, King said. The council authorized the closure of the downtown municipal parking lot behind Bangor Savings Bank from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Family Fun Day runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.