Staff Writer
CARIBOU — The Aroostook County Commissioners met for a half an hour on Feb. 11, to discuss a short but important agenda that lasted about half an hour. Though initially suggested a $500 to $700 dollar donation be awarded to the Maine Acadian Heritage Council in support of the opportunity to host the 2014 World Acadian Congress, the commissioners passed a motion unanimously to donate $1,000 to the council from the unorganized territory fund.
“It’s supposed to be a big event, about three to four times the size of the biathlon,” said county commissioner Norman Fournier, referring to the World Cup races hosted in 2004 by Fort Kent and its 10th Mountain Lodge.
The commissioners also unanimously passed a motion to increase the cost of obtaining a copy of an accident report for the Aroostook County Sheriff’s department from $5 dollars to $10 dollars a copy, a cost increase that most areas have already approved.
“I can remember the cost of an accident report being five dollars when I was with the Fort Kent police department back in 1974,” commented Fournier.
The commissioners also approved a motion, similar to one they had already passed in August of 2006, to send either a letter or an e-mail expressing their continued support for the north/south highway and specifically the Presque Isle bypass.
A hearing for the town of Hammond regarding a road issue was scheduled to take place on March 2 at 5:30 p.m. in Houlton.
“The issue is that the town voted last fall to stop plowing the road, and as things turned out most recently, it looked like there was going to be some agreement, and the town is providing some winter maintenance for the road,” explained one commissioner. “They’re keeping it open, but they’ll only plow it when snow accumulation reaches a certain threshold.”
The County Commissioners will meet tonight at 5:30 p.m. in the Houlton District Court Building; the next meeting will take place on March 4, at 5:30 p.m. in Fort Kent.
