News tagged: Public Hearings

News items announcing public hearings. These items are typically tagged with a category identifying the body holding the hearing.


12/16/2024 Notice of Public Hearing – General Assistance

The Town of Blue Hill will hold a public hearing to consider approval of an annual update of the GA Ordinance Maximums for 2024-2025, during the December 16, 2024, Select Board meeting which will be held at 5:45 p.m. at the Blue Hill Town Office. This is a requirement of the State.

For more information, please contact the Town Office.

The End of Toddy Pond?

Public Meeting at Maine Maritime Academy’s training facility in Bucksport on Thursday, November 14 at 5:00pm (details)

Background

As you may be aware, Toddy Pond is what it is because of a dam in Orland that maintains the water level. This dam, originally associated with the paper mill in Bucksport, is now the subject of a petition by Bucksport Mill LLC has petitioned the DEP for permission to abandon the dam. Two other dams (creating Alamoosook Lake and Silver Lake) are also proposed to be abandoned.

In the event a new owner (prepared to maintain the dam(s) going forward) is not identified, Maine DEP’s preferred action is apparently to order release of the water held by the dam, which would all but drain the three water bodies.

Continue reading “The End of Toddy Pond?”

Proposed Traffic Ordinance: Hearing

The Blue Hill Select Board is considering consolidating and replacing its existing traffic ordinance with an updated version. Attached is a draft of the new ordinance being considered, for which public comment is sought.

Of particular interest is the public’s feedback on the proposal to make a portion of Mill Street one way for safety purposes and on parking arrangements in the vicinity of the Falls Bridge. But there are a variety of other changes incorporated in the ordinance; interested parties are encouraged to review the entire draft.

Anyone wishing to comment the draft is invited to do so in writing (delivered to the Town Office), by email (to townadmin@bluehillme.gov), or by attending a public hearing to be held at the Town Hall on Wednesday, October 2, at 6:00pm.

Proposed “Street Tree” Policy

As part of an effort to make its practices clearer and more consistent, the Select Board plans to codify its “street tree” policy—particularly which tree care costs will be borne by the Town and which will not.

The Select Board expects to consider adoption of a policy at its September 16 meeting. Prior to doing so, however, the Board hereby invites public comment on the proposed policy, either via an email to selectboard@bluehillme.gov or, in person, at the September 16 Select Board meeting.

In short, proposed policy provides that the Town will pay for 100% of the costs of caring for trees on Town property and 50% of the cost of care for trees in a public right of way (with the other 50% to be paid by the property owner). Care for trees on private property outside of the public right of way are the responsibility of the private property owner.

Traffic Ordinance Hearing Postponed

The public hearing for amendments to the Blue HIll Traffic Ordinance, originally scheduled for August 19, has been postponed (to provide more time to refine the proposed draft ordinance). No new date has been identified.

The public will receive at least seven days’ advance notice of the hearing, when it is scheduled, via the Town website and physical notices at the Town Hall and Hannaford’s. Copies of the draft ordinance also will be available at that time.

Public Hearing: Blue Hill Traffic Ordinance

The Select Board is considering amending the Blue Hill Traffic Ordinance and will hold a public hearing to receive public comment on a proposal to repeal and replace the Blue Hill Traffic Ordinance, including designated “no parking” areas, crosswalks, traffic control signage, making Mill St. one-way and other changes.

The Select Board will hold a public hearing at its regular meeting on August 19 at 5:30pm.