Letter from student spurs lighting safety discussion at council meeting

FORT KENT - John Anderson, a middle school student, sent a letter to the town council that sparked an animated discussion during the most recent council meeting on Jan. 23.

Anderson is concerned about the lack of lighting for pedestrians and suggested that the town develop a law to require pedestrians to wear reflectors when walking after sundown. Council members discussed passing the letter to the chief of police to see whether enforcement of a law requiring the reflectors would be feasible.

Councilor Joel Desjardins commented that public posting of a letter from a student about the issue might help to bring it into people's awareness.

Council members also discussed the low wattage on existing lights in town and the feasibility of installing LED lighting.

As an audience member, planning board member Danny Nicolas suggested that police officers take note once a month of all the street lights that are out and send that information to Maine Public Service. He said Madawaska has done this for years.

In order to begin to fill an upcoming four vacancies on the zoning board of appeals, the council appointed Jake Robichaud and reappointed Jean Leblanc to the board. The council members expressed a desire to have John Dumond continue to serve on the board as an alternate.

Two ZBA members' terms expire on Jan. 31, which would leave the board with two new vacancies and two existing alternate vacancies. The appointment of Robichaud, reappointment of Leblanc, and appointment of Dumond would leave only one alternate vacancy open on the ZBA.

The Fort Kent planning board continues to have one alternate vacancy.

The council also unanimously appointed Sharon Johnson to the school board in Ward 5 in order to fill a vacancy on that board until the term expires in March.

In other business, council members agreed to purchase a four-wheel drive military surplus pickup truck from Pennsylvania for the police department using drug seizure monies. The police department will also use those monies to purchase an updated digital video recorder for the station. The department currently uses a VHS recorder.

Council members also agreed to the sale of approximately 40 acres of tax-acquired property to Patrick Lorenzo Caron after resolution of a timber harvesting trespass issue. The trespassing contractor agreed to pay $1500 for stumpage on the property. The motion to accept the stumpage fee and the motion to accept the high bidder's proposal both carried three-to-one. Councilor Bob Michaud was in favor of waiting to sell the property until the snow was gone from the property to determine if the contractors proposal was an adequate sum for the stumpage.

Improvements in the town's ability to fight fires has led to a slightly decreased homeowner's insurance rating, or ISO rating. Updated equipment, improvements to the water system on the west side of town, increased water volume and pressure, and a few more hydrants in town have contributed to the decreases in the insurance rating.

Guimond cautioned that the decreases would have minor effects on insurance premiums, but said, "It's something, anyway."