Welcome to the September 28, 2018 edition of the Town Manager s E-Mail Newsletter. It will be sent on a weekly basis that will outline upcoming meetings, news, address issues and projects that are active. Included in the Newsletter will be reports by other departments and agencies. The Newsletter will be placed on the Town s Website for the general public to read. Meetings & Events for SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER, 2018 IMPORTANT SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER DATES Saturday 29-Sep Wells Reserve - Pumpkin Fiddle 10-2 Monday 1-Oct Planning Board Town Hall 7PM Tuesday 2-Oct BOS WS & 7PM Meeting - Town Hall Wednesday 3-Oct MMA Convention+ Augusta Civic Center 8-4 Thursday 4-Oct MMA Convention+ Augusta Civic Center 8-4 Friday 5-Oct PAC Meeting 8AM Town Hall Monday 8-Oct Columbus Day- Holiday Tuesday 9-Oct Public Safety Complex - Topping Off Ceremony 11:30AM Saturday 13-Oct Household Hazardous Waste Day - Kennebunk Facility Sea Rd 8-1 Monday 15-Oct Planning Board Town Hall 7PM Tuesday 16-Oct BOS WS & 7PM Meeting - Town Hall Thursday 25-Oct HAC Meeting 5PM 1
Other Calendars of Events: Take it Outside Summer with Maine State Parks Use the searchable Web Calendar. 2017-18 Calendar of Events, Things to Do in CT, RI, MA, VT, NH, and... www.visit-maine.com/state/events/events/ Community Calendar Maine Public Wells Chamber of Commerce Events Calendar: http://wellschamber.org/v_calendar.cfm Headlines NEWS / UPDATES / ISSUES: Capell Bridge over Merriland River Project No. STP-2081(40)Replacement- Route One by Cozy Corners The project start date is mid-february 2019 to mid-april with Rte One closed to one lane of traffic in the area of the bridge with portable traffic lights and the open to two lanes with the project until June 21, 2019 when it will be completed. York County Community College Eggs & Issues Series 2018-2019 2
o 10/12 : 2018 Maine Gubernatorial Candidates Forum https://www.yccc.edu/business-community/community/eggs-issues/ o 11/9: The current state and the future of manufacturing in Maine https://www.yccc.edu/business-community/community/eggs-issues/ Special Town Meeting for November 6, 2018 The Board of Selectmen have reviewed the cost factors and challenges of the approved and permitted new Fire Substation on Town land on Route 109 near the Meetinghouse intersection regarding site development. The Selectmen have voted to look at the site development cost if the same Fire Substation Building was built on the Public Works Garage parcel on Route 9 for comparison purposes. Because there is a cost savings in having the substation built during the timeframe of the larger Public Safety Complex by our Construction Management Company, the Selectmen have voted to pursue a town wide vote at the November 6, 2018 General Election Day to ask the voters for permission to switch locations if they determine in their opinion 1) the site development costs are lower at the alternative site; 2) the utilities are more efficient resulting in a long-term increased value at the alternative site and 3) the location of the alternative site provides an equal or improved public safety response than the existing original site. 3
Public hearings on the Special Town Meeting Ballot will be held on September 18 & October 16, 2018 at 7PM at Town Hall in the Littlefield Meeting Room. Multi Town Household Hazardous Waste Day- October 13, 2018- Kennebunk Transfer Station Sea Road 8AM to 1 PM 4
Wells residents participating need to bring identification that they are a Wells resident through their driver s license or tax, water, cable or sewer bill. It is free to participate and encouraged to only bring the items listed below. Channel 3 Off the Air this past Week. The controller box that manages the station s schedule of programs and switches stopped working following a power surge at Town Hall. The 10 year unit stopped working Wednesday. Through the Town s cable equipment consultant, the Town of York was reported to have a used back up unit. The Town Manager called the York Town Manager and they graciously allowed him to borrow it Thursday morning. The Town s consultant, Connectivity Point, worked on it Friday and the station returned to normal operations Friday afternoon. During Thursday morning, the Town s IT group Winxnet was able to get the Bulletin Board running on the channel. A new controller is being ordered. Spectrum Cable Wells Channel 3 Meetings & Bulletin Board- To Move to Cable Channel 1301 beginning October 23, 2018. Channel Changes_REF.MP4 Communities involved: North Berwick, Ogunquit, Wells, York & South Berwick 5
On October 23, 2018, Channel 3 new locations will be on channel 1301. This will be carried in the basic service tier. Customers will be required to have a Spectrum Receiver on each TV. If you have an existing set-top-box, digital transport adapter (DTA), or retail device with a CableCARD on each TV, you will be unaffected by this change. Otherwise, to order your Spectrum Receiver(s), please go to Spectrum.com/digitalnow or call 1-844-278-3409 and Charter will ship a self-installation kit directly to your home at no additional cost. You can also visit the Wells or Portland Cable Stores to pick up your equipment. If you need equipment, customers are eligible to receive a converter at no additional charge for a limited period of time. Please note, if customers have TV(s) without equipment issued by Spectrum, you will lose the ability to view channels. Please let me know of any questions. Shelley Winchenbach Director, Government Affairs Northeast Coastal Webcams Stay in tune with Mother Nature s fury through the below Jetty Cam at the Harbor and at the Casino Parking Lot owned by the Lafayette Hotel. Hotel Webcam: http://www.wellsbeachmaine.com/maine-seacoast/seacoast-web-cam Jetty Webcam: Harbor Jetty Webcam (Not Working at this time). Up 9A Volunteer Road Warriors: At Work Cleaning 6
. The Road Warriors is a Volunteer Program overseen by the Volunteer / Event Coordinator and is in its second year. The Warrior program is open to anyone in Town that wants to assist with litter control on the sides of our streets. Please email Cindy Adamsky, Volunteer / Events Coordinator for information at cadamsky@wellstown.org Streaming Meetings of the Board of Selectmen, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals- to watch go to our Website- www.wellstown.org under the front left hand side under Video Streaming or press the link. http://townhallstreams.com/locations/wells-me Projects: Wayfinder Project The Town is embarking, after a couple of years of raising funds through the CIP process, to develop a Wayfinder Signage Project for Wells Wayfinder Signage. The Town received 9 proposals from consultants to develop a Wayfinder program. The first committee meeting was held August 27 th and it worked to bring the 9 down to 3-4 consultants to interview in September. The committee has met and reduced the consultants to 4 for interviews with one dropping out on September 14, 2018. The Committee recommended to the Board of Selectmen the firm of Favermann Design at their 9/18/18 meeting which they accepted and awarded the project to them. Examples of Favermann Design s Work links below http://www.favermanndesign.com/pages/ipswich.shtml http://www.favermanndesign.com/pages/winchester.shtml http://www.favermanndesign.com/pages/amesbury.shtml 7
Appointed members to the Wayfinder Committee are: Eleanor Vadenais Wells Chamber Katy Kelly Lafayette s Ocean Resort Jo-Ann Putnam Chief of Police Jodine Adams Code Enforcement Officer Jonathan Carter Town Manager Nik Charov /Scott Richardson Laudholm Trust Tim Roche- Selectmen Rep Webhannet Marsh Trail: Construction well underway The work on the installation of the Webhannet Marsh Trail construction has commenced on land adjacent to the Harbor Park as depicted below. This is a NOAH / Wells Reserve / Town funded project. The trail should be completed by early to mid-october for use. View from the Trail under construction 9/26/18 8
Public Safety Complex and Substation: Picture -two Maple Trees being prepared to be moved to a different location on the lot. generous donor has given money towards this to prevent them from being destroyed. Both Trees Relocated and looking good. Site picture 9/28/18 9
Work is progressing on the following: Site work continues with foundation work and steel commencing this past week (see above pictures). Steel to be completed by 10/10/18 Construction management meetings are held every two weeks on site with the Architect, Construction Management Team and the Town Manager, Police and Fire Chiefs with other staff when necessary. o Fire Marshall has issued their Permit to complete the building. o CEO Issued Full Building Permit o 9/10 Planning Board Meeting to review siting of the Communication Tower at the Public Safety Complex. Fire Substation received its approvals at the Planning Board 7/2/18. The Board of Selectmen held a Public Hearing on 8/7/18 to release funds to evaluate an alternative site for the Fire Substation to be constructed which is on the Public Works Parcel on Route 9, North Berwick Road. The comparison of cost will be analyzed and if the alternative site is selected, it will possibly be voted on at a special Town Meeting in November. Alternative Substation Site Analysis Funding Released and work has started. Special Town Meeting has been scheduled for November 6, 2018 to give the Board of Selectmen the authority following the Alternative Public Works Garage Parcel site development study, to move the project to that site if the development costs are lower, utilities are more efficient at that location in the long-term and the alternative site provides an equal or improved public safety response than the existing original site. Reports /Updates Police Report: Attachment Folder CEO Permit Report: Attachment Folder Fire Department Report: Attachment Folder Volunteer / Event Coordinator s Update: Attachment Folder Charter Communication Update on Channel Listings and Fee Increases Wells Town Office Town Manager Town Web Site 10