Search Maine Yellow Pages 
Log In | Register | Help
CHINA: Code officer reappointed
Bookmark & share: digg del.icio.us Reddit
Reader Comments (below)
story tools
sponsored by
BY MARY GROW
Correspondent
Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel Thursday, July 31, 2008

CHINA -- Planning Board members unanimously recommend selectmen reappoint Code Enforcement Officer Scott Pierz.

Michael Martin, the alternate member who did not vote because the other five members were all present at Tuesday evening's meeting, said had he voted, he would have agreed.

Board members talked briefly about selectmen's delay in reappointing town officials for the fiscal year that began July 1, primarily, they said and Town Manager Daniel L'Heureux later confirmed, because of lack of agreement on Pierz.

L'Heureux expects discussion of the code enforcement position in executive session before Monday's selectmen's meeting.

Board members expressed appreciation to Pierz for preparing documents for their meetings and following up on their decisions.

Board Chairman Scott Rollins noted "the very good work Scott [Pierz] does for us in a job that is very difficult."

Pierz thanked board members for their support and observed that, whatever people may believe, he does not run the Planning Board.

Board members made two other unanimous decisions Tuesday evening, one over Pierz's objections.

* They found that David Pinkham's plan -- to rearrange his Windsor Road fuel oil business to make display space for pellet and propane stoves and geothermal equipment -- met ordinance requirements and approved it.

Pinkham is to obtain a state transportation department highway entrance permit. He is to plant trees along one property line, as already discussed with his neighbor, by July 1, 2009.

* The second decision was a recommendation to Pierz to send South China businessman Thadius Barber a notice of violation concerning his commercial property at the intersection of Route 3 and Vassalboro Road.

Barber inherited a dispute over a state highway entrance permit when he bought the property some years ago. Since then, he added a U-haul business without Planning Board approval.

Pierz repeatedly urged board members to invite Barber to an August meeting to discuss the two issues.

Board members said they and Barber have had several discussions, with no results. They therefore recommended the formal notice of violation, as a first step toward enforcement action if needed.

In other business Tuesday evening:

* Pierz reported on a plan to spread a form of municipal biosolids known as Soil Prep on land off Neck Road. The spreading is an agricultural operation that does not require a permit, he said.

* The codes officer said Hannaford Bros. has obtained state environmental permits for the proposed South China supermarket. A conservation easement for land east of the Windsor Road store and a building plan remain to be finished, he said. He said preparatory site work is likely to begin within two months.

* Board members scheduled meetings for Aug. 5 and Aug. 26. Tentatively, both will be devoted to reviewing potential ordinance amendments, to see which ones can be ready for submission to voters in November, if selectmen approve.

Bookmark and share this story: digg del.icio.us Reddit