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It is easy to waste significant time and energy on arguments over office supplies and related minutia, while losing sight of the bigger picture and missing opportunities for significant savings. PM, November 10, 2022 Ambassador to the United Nations, stated the following: Democracy frays when citizens fail to show interest in preserving the integrity of its institutions or they are complicit in the fraying. I would like to address this statement in regard to our current Select Board. We moved to Camden 18 years ago because it provided the best environment/community we could find to raise our family. All over Camden there is more water that needs to pass under our buildings, bridges, and drainage pipes, especially in the downtown. Whatever principles that once informed their actions and words are now depleted, to our detriment. In 2013, Camden voters approved a $2 million bond to complement a $4.5 million private fundraising effort to fund a redevelopment project at the Camden Snow Bowl, including the construction of a new lodge. New trails and paths must be well planned to account for drainage, erosion control, vegetative buffers, slope, and soil type, and existing trails and trouble spots must be monitored for warning signs. Select Board (one seat): Gary A. Parker: 222 elected* Mark T. Russell: 221 *Recount possible MAINE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT 49 Representing Clinton (one seat): Neal Caverly: 146. Even for those who have learned how it works, they are often left in a position where their voice doesnt count if they dont have time to show up and speak at a pubic hearing (or five of them). Nearly everyone has to adjust and speak more loudly into the microphone. It has been accepted for inclusion in Maine Town Documents by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. To their credit, nearly 500 townspeople prove suspicious of Greeks bearing gifts. I support maintaining a Select Board form of town government. PM, May 15, 2023 The board will also consider a 2023-2024 municipal budget of approximately $11.3 million, representing a 7 to 8.5 percent increase over the current budget. Other voters may need to wait outside until authorized to enter to maintain . Cannabis shops in Camden were rejected at the polls. Camden has always benefited from this type of investment and it is sometimes a positive thing, helping to keep Camdens tax rate low in comparison to other towns and creating many jobs in the process. What would you like to see for the future of the Tannery Park on Washington Street. The pace of life continues to creep up a little faster each year yet, many are now looking for a better work-life balance. What are the 3 most pressing issues facing Camden today, and how would you like to see them resolved? The potential for damage to the mountain and adjacent Hosmer Pond mostly comes from a failure to monitor large projects and to actively check for erosion control issues. Do you believe that is worth continuing, and if so, how so? There are two open seats this June, one is a three-year term, the other a two-year term. Every meeting I attend bears witness to citizens taking part in the democratic process. I share this story because I feel this may be a part thats missing regarding the work needed to gain greater understanding and move toward resolution with Montgomery Dam. Many who are drawn to purchase property downtown are taking advantage of opportunities in our zoning to convert commercial space into living space and many of the occupants have no patience for Camdens night scene or even the early morning clanging and banging of the harbor. The democratic process: Camdens form of government provides so many opportunities for public input that people have a hard time following along and knowing when to show up. Thomas Hedstrom is running against incumbent Marc Ratner for the three-year seat. For details, Click Here. The seats all carry three-year terms. With the public softened up (as it were) and receptive to ballot-box voting, June 14, 2022 arrivedtime for the Select Board to deliver the coup de grace. Open to all, supported by readers. In an unprecedented move, Camden will also hold its annual town meeting on July 14, as well, with all warrant articles appearing before voters at the ballot box. However, the proposed MCSWC 2024 budget includes a price increase: Small bags are to increase from $1.50 per bag to $2 per/bag, and large bags will increase from $2.50 to 3. Camden ME 04843. I served on the MSAD 28 and CSD school boards for nearly five years, three of those as chair for the CSD. 2:00 This Ordinance clearly establishes the authority of the municipality to control objects and vegetation within a public right of way.. Camdens post-colonial residents originally established the town meeting back in 1791 as their most effective means ofdirectlydiscussing and deciding issues affecting the town and its future directionas an assemblageso all could hear the pros and cons of various issues and undertakings before voting, rather than leaving such matters to their elected, short-term, Select Board representatives to resolve. I feel the Select Board is fostering a reputation of talking at our community and not listening to our community. I would also like to use my experience serving on both School Boards as an opportunity to serve in another role in our community. (Were there too many words, not enough space? Our next Election Day is June 13. Unfortunately, as more buildings were remodeled, many traded out factories and offices for housing closer to town, and complaints about noise often plagued businesses and patrons until they kind of gave up. Select Board Assistant Chairperson McKellar was at the forefront of this campaign, and by far the most outspokenboth in her frequent opinion pieces inThe Camden Heraldand at public meetings. CAMDEN - Five citizens are vying for two open seats on the Camden Select Board, with elections to be held June 13 at the 2023 Town Meeting. We can either meet that need by contracting with private companies (current model) or by staffing and equipping the service in much the same way that we do with the police and fire department. I knew from serving on the school board, some of the challenges with the building. I view two areas of concern supporting the removal of Montgomery Dam. Select Board Chair: rfalciani@camdenmaine.gov (207) 236-4955: Elected Official - Expires 06/2023: Alison: McKellar: Select Board Chair: amckellar@camdenmaine.gov (386) 956-1530: Elected Official - Expires 06/2024: Sophie: Romana: Select Board Member: sromana@camdenmaine.gov (917) 415-5911: Elected Official - Expires 06/2024: Matthew: Siegel . There are many additional opportunities but not all partnerships make things easier. Imagine, if you will, our 2022 Select Board members Ratner, McKellar, Falciani, and Romana as Greeks (with Town Manager Caler and Lawyer Kelly lending a helping hand from behind), all wheeling a magnificent, two-story-high wooden horse up to the walls of Camden. After graduating, I lived and worked throughout Latin America as a translator and volunteer coordinator for various nonprofit organizations and since my return to Camden I have worked in jobs ranging from bartending at Peter Otts, to legal blogging, to freelance web design, to teaching Spanish at the Watershed School where I worked for four years. The sense of impatience and dismissal that emanates from these same three Select Board members is both palpable and deeply disturbing. 2:00 2:00 2:00 In fact, the welcome and open attitude is underwhelming at best. Add our free ROKU channel "Maine Coast TV". We can choose who we want to represent us, but after that, we either live with the decisions they make, or we vote them out. We say we want a vibrant downtown with young people and fresh ideas but were crafting rules that make it illegal to sit on the village green and play the guitar past 11pm. Bangor, ME. Public works director? For the November 2, 2021 election, absentee ballots will be available by Friday, October 1, 2021. The Camden Select Board has used every means in its toolbox to avoid allowing the citizens a voice on saving Montgomery Dam. The Good Table has everything you need to prepare your next delicious meal. Hidden from sight within this big horses hollow belly crouched several proposed related amendments not spelled out in detail on the ballot. On July 14, voters in Camden will choose two of three candidates to serve a three-year term on the Camden Select Board. Dear Friends: Images From Maine #148 Peter Ralston. Are there other cost-sharing arrangements that Camden could do, with Rockport or other towns, to spread the staffing responsibilities; e.g., share a planner? What is your opinion having a select board vs. a council form of government? To date, a new lodge has not been constructed. I can walk to Megnunticook River from my house and enjoy a few hours with my fly rod on the river. However, how do we balance this noble cause of restoration, that impacts other dams up the river, with the importance of maintaining the thread of our community that is Montgomery Dam? They have lost our confidence and they have lost their bearings. Town meetings and direct democracy have had an essential role in governance across New Englands small towns and villages since the late 1600s. These three Select Board members chose, at one point several years ago, to generously allocate their time and skills to this endeavor of town stewardship. Camden often appears to be teetering on the brink of a real estate and vacation based economy. The Swap Shop is set to reopen in a much larger building with expanded hours as soon we get through the worst of the coronavirus restrictions. We also work together with alongside Rockport (as well as Hope and Lincolnville) through our shared transfer station and ambulance service contracts. We are grateful to those who already participate. We promise that the people of Camden will get a chance to vote on the dam. Office Walk-in . And, community members should be allowed a seat at the table, maintaining an open mind and contribute to making a recommendation to the Select Board based on the data and the best interests of the community. All three projects taken together would form the foundational building blocks to expand service to more parts of the communities in the future, according to a MDIC report. The ballot is given to the 3rd person to deliver to the voter. Reducing our impact on the planet is not as simple as choosing different products to buy and in fact the tendency to try and save the planet by buying new things is part of the problem. Helping to Calm Strong Emotions Program returns in September! I feel the Select Board is fostering a reputation of talking at our community and not listening to our community. I would also like to use my experience serving on both School Boards as an opportunity to serve in another role in our community. I share this story because I feel this may be a part thats missing regarding the work needed to gain greater understanding and move toward resolution with Montgomery Dam. The Camden Select Board, whoever is on it, must be brave in standing up for the public interest of spaces where people and businesses are free and encouraged to be awake and alive. Through my work collecting donations for Syria from hospitals, hotels, businesses, and private citizens, I see the immense amount of material that is being discarded when it could be reused. Open to all, supported by readers. Camdens most enduring and important assets have always been its natural resources. I knew from serving on the school board, some of the challenges with the building. At the time, I worked for a small family-owned company that required me to travel extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad. So, likely it was entirely unintentional, but Camden's voters empowered the Select Board to begin eviscerating the Town Charter the day after Election Day, last year. 06/2025. The wise choices we make at the polls are vital to a victory of the democratic spirit. Simply getting up to speed on essential town documents and reports involves many hundreds of pages of reading (charter, comprehensive plan, ordinances, downtown master plan, etc, etc) and our meeting packets are filled with everything from the nitty gritty details of liquor license applications to copies of signage to approve to road closings. We need Select Board members who act as our representativesnot leaders or judges or self-appointed shepherds who would have us be their sheep. Historically, from the earliest days of settlement, the downtown was a place for activity and noise was understood as a byproduct of life. Plow trucks beeping all night in the winter and people yelling as they spilled out of bars and restaurants, their ears still ringing from the music that was once heard much louder and later in Camden. While we work hard to keep you informed about the Midcoast community, how citizens cope and thrive, we need your help, too. The dam is another thread that makes up the fabric of our community. I agree there is a lack of workforce housing in Camden. They include: Codifying the appointment of Budget Committee members by the Select Board, instead of through an election process. Three key elements should be in place for municipal volunteer committees to be successful. I am a long-time remote worker long before the pandemic, long before Zoom was a thing. I am currently the Treasurer of the Corporation and I believe we now have a very good group of members and the possibility to make significant headway. Ironically, by voting in favor of the secret ballot, the majority of our towns voters also approved deletion of Section 6.06 Town Vote on the Budget, which stated,The qualified voters of the Town shall have power under this article to require consideration or reconsideration of any budget item prior to adjournment of the annual Town Meeting.. The harbor, naturally, is a great draw. Camden has refined and promoted itself as part of an outdoor recreational economy for several years. How important are municipal volunteer committees to a towns governance? Ultimately, it's a great system; the last holdout in the experiment of direct democracy that began in New England nearly 400 years ago, but if people don't know how it works, then it doesn't work at all. And I still work for the same company as Vice President of Marketing. Eventually, on Election Day, June 14, 2022, a majority of Camden voters (943, to be exact) acted on the four Select Board members unanimous recommendation, approving Warrant Article 3, to amend the Town Charter to provide for using [the] secret ballot for adoption of the annual budget. If your car broke down in the middle of town, you were often lucky enough to have be within pushing distance from either Matt or Steve. Its as simple and elegant as that. In roughly 90-days, I was convinced based on the data learned through the process of working on this committee, keeping the building as a part of the community through renovation was the best recommendation we could make to the school board. Join for as little as $2.99 per month and support local journalism on a community hub that serves everyone. 392 likes. In a perfect world, research has shown that municipally controlled internet service with fiber to the home is the fastest and most cost effective for most communities. Remember, in a directly democratic town meeting,the ruled are the rulers! See related story. They come in the form of an inter-local agreement between adjacent towns or scouring grant opportunities that may offset municipal spending on things we would have to do anyway, such as culvert and bridge replacement. Tue, 06/08/2021 - 9:30pm CAMDEN It was a strong turnout in Camden June 8 for another unusual annual town meeting, with 802 voters casting ballots. In Camden, our system of government is a form of democracy so pure that most of us don't even know how it works. Odd as it may seem, apart from noting that voters last June approved changes to town meeting process, the article made no reference to what has to be the most profound change to occur in our towns governance in over 200 years. If the voter is assisted in marking the ballot the aide must sign as aide on the ballot envelope and 1 other witness must verify and sign off. Camden has been governed by a five-member select board for decades (it once was a three-person board) but in recent years has informally discussed moving to a city council form of government. Seeking reelection are Robert Falciani and Alison McKellar, while Peter Lindquist has also entered the race. Camden residents are voting on cannabis stores and the budget, and they pick their Select Board and school board members Tuesday, June 13. After three years on the Board, I can see how people get exhausted quickly. Fax: (207) 236-7956. We take these things for granted. Today, millions of people around the world would give almost anything to possess this rare, directly democratic power that 943 of Camdens townspeople gave up unquestioningly last Junemost of them, very likely, without realizing the mistake they were making. PM, April 20, 2023 A glowing field of solar panels within walking distance of downtown may provide an excellent photo opportunity, but we owe it to residents and the planet to be honest with ourselves and our constituents. Camden is holding municipal, school budget and state elections on July 14. What is your opinion on the current impasse between Camden and Rockport over Rockports use of the Camden sewer system and Camdens demand for payment from Rockport? 5:00 The pandemic enabled the board to suspend town meetings at the Opera House. And with Covid-19 still a threat to public gatherings, townspeople found this argument persuasive (as became apparent in a straw vote that November). If we want to support ecotourism and outdoor adventure sports, we will have to be willing to give up parking spots in favor of bike and kayak racks and replace some infrastructure (like certain culverts, dams and seawalls) with solutions that make way for sea level rise and habitat restoration. PM, January 04, 2023 How do you envision the future of solid waste processing for the four towns; i.e., recycling, waste stream reduction? Proper site planning and ongoing oversight are essential and the Select Board and town staff have been diligent in monitoring rain events, asking questions, and investing in drainage studies proactively. The last day to request an absentee ballot in-person is Thursday, October 28, 2021, unless a special circumstance exists. We are grateful to those who already participate. I would seek to find common ground on the wastewater treatment issue. During my first three years on the Select Board, we have been working to implement youtube live-streaming of all committee meetings as well as all Select Board workshops and MDOT public hearings. CAMDEN, Maine Town residents will have five candidates to choose from for two available seats on the select board when they go to the polls in June. MIDC is a regional broadband utility, with the goal of providing universal access fiber to the premise (FTTP) high-speed broadband to all homes and businesses in their service territory. Select Board meetings are broadcast live on Spectrum Cable TV channel 1303 and web streamed at: www.youtube.com/TownofCamdenMaine, April 4, 2023 6:30 p.m. French Conference Room, For those wishing to participate remotely via Zoom, click here. Were these 943 Camden voters on June 14 fully aware that our annual town meeting constituted our sole opportunity as legally empowered legislators to reconsider, challenge, debateeven repurposewarrant articles and spending amounts recommended by the towns Budget Committee and our representatives on the Select Board? The proposed entertainment district would be on the east side of the harbor currently owned by Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding. With two Camden Select Board positions opening up this June, I wanted to take a few minutes to share some thoughts about the Select Board meetings I have personally attended over the past 2 1/2 years. Most of the time, I see a direct connection between all three of these focus points and plenty of overlap with many of the other issues the town faces. Instead of questioning, debate, and deciding by open vote, we now vote alone, by secret ballot. Mon, 06/13/2022 - 7:00pm On June 14, voters in Camden will elect two candidates to serve on the Camden Select Board. 12:00 Vinnie works for Yachting Solutions and I am able to stay home with the kids most of the time by supplementing our income through renting rooms in our home (mostly long term tenants and work/travel visa students from around the world who work in Camden's restaurants and inns during the summer). The most important thing is that we are not dependent on any one option nor entity. On several occasions, I ventured to the podium. Dear Friends: Images From Maine #148 Peter Ralston. Ballot must be witnessed by a notary or 2 other individuals and noted on the ballot envelope. Alexis de Tocqueville famously singled out town meeting/direct democracy as the purest form of democracy ever put into practice. But now they have crossed the line and are undermining the core tenets of democracy. Section 6.06 allowed the public to decide where it wanted to go, whether or not the Select Board and Town Manager agreed or disagreed. At the April 4 meeting, the Camden Select Board is being asked whether it wants to move the project forward to voters for funding approval. AM, June 26, 2023 2:00 The pro-forma in the attached feasibility report posits that Camden will pay the entire cost of the build-out, with revenue and expenses for the network modelled on this assumption. Privatization of services (our current model) is sometimes in the publics best interest and sometimes not. The first is the concern around flooding in the AE Zones. Town of Camden YouTube Channel To view all Town of Camden Board and Committee meetings https . Home; Government; Town Manager. This is sufficient for our household and we could pay more for even faster speeds, but these options may not be available to everyone in Camden, and I fully support the work being down by town committee members and staff to review options. We know that in addition to warming temperatures and rising seas, that morre water is also falling in the watershed over shorter periods of time. Feel free to contact me with quest I genuinely enjoyed the experience and considered serving again when we moved back. Like the recommendation for the former MET building, community members would have the final say through the ballot box. To return to the Pilot 2020 Election Page, click here. What is the future of alternative energy municipal production and service for Camden? For the majority of citizens, this is one of the most fundamental aspects of town government. I went into the process skeptical the building should be preserved. Five years later, we had an opportunity to move back, and we took it. PM, September 09, 2022 The pandemic gave the board a good excuse to put most citizen-volunteer committees on hiatus for months on end (volunteer committees being an essential part of town meeting government). It isnt just a Camden phenomenon, but a national phenomenon. I do worry that the area has become less accessible to the average resident for low cost activities like tubing and sledding. How best should all Camden citizens access high-speed, broadband internet? I support maintaining a Select Board form of town government. Additionally, city councils will make key decisions, whereas the select board moves those decisions to the voters to decide. This gift-horses name was Article 3(the Secret Ballot amendment to Camdens Town Charter on the June 14, 2022 ballot). However, I wanted data to be my guide, and not make a decision based just on my feelings about the building. What are the three most pressing issues facing Camden today, and how would you like to see them resolved? Lincolnville is an essential partner that we should work more closely with through the watershed and lake that we share and our partnerships with Belfast are expanding through a shared municipal attorney and mutual aid arrangement with the code enforcement office. How will you protect the town-owned Ragged Mountain Recreation Area from overuse as the region becomes more attractive to biking, skiing and hiking? PM, January 31, 2023 (Voter designates a 3rd person to deliver a ballot to them through a completed application. Stephanie FrenchThomas HedstromRobert LawsonMarc Ratner. Many of us prepare our words over several days or weeks. Anchor Restaurant - OPEN - SERVING LUNCH & DINNER 12-8pm! The dam is another thread that makes up the fabric of our community. The $150,000 fixer upper starter home is a thing of the past in Camden as these buildings often find themselves in the way of one that is more suited to the tastes of the new buyers.

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