Commissioners authorize Caribou PD
to patrol ATV trails outside city limits
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
HOULTON — Members of the Caribou Police Department will now be able to patrol ATV trails outside of the city limits.
The Aroostook County Commissioners gave their unanimous approval Sept. 4 to a plan to deputize nine Caribou police officers to the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department for a three-year time period.
According to Sheriff James Madore, deputizing the nine Caribou officers for ATV trail patrols will help both departments.
“This is specifically for ATV details outside of their (Caribou’s) city limits, within our jurisdiction,” Madore said. “The only officers approved for these details are ones who have taken the ATV safety course.”
ATV details typically involve patrolling area trails, looking for offenders who may be consuming alcohol or operating an ATV illegally. The details are often done in conjunction with the Maine Warden Service.
Funding for the multi-jurisdictional task force comes from grant monies the Sheriff’s Department secured. A similar grant was received about five years ago for the same purpose.
In other action, commissioners approved a three-year contract with the Bridgewater Fire Department for fire protection for the unorganized territories of TDR2 and T9R3. The contract calls for $1,300 for 2013-14; $1,339 for 2014-15; and $1,379 for 2015-16.
County Administrator Doug Beaulieu said it was the first time in 14 years that an increase has been awarded to the Bridgewater Fire Department. Prior to this increase, the fee was flat funded at $1,000 per year.
“They had some change in leadership in the town of Bridgewater and asked to negotiate a rate increase,” he explained. “For a number of years, we had indicated to the prior leadership that we would entertain a nominal increase from year to year, but the town never took us up on that offer.”
Those two unorganized territories have 28 full-time residents. The area also includes No. 9 Mountain, which includes a number of seasonal dwellings.
Unorganized territory in The County comprises 108 townships, a land mass of 2,547,931.88 acres, with a population of 1,647 residents according to the 2000 Census, most of whom reside within 11 townships along the eastern border of Aroostook County.
These 108 townships represent an aggregate total of $583,050,000 in the 2010 state valuation.
The County Commissioners provide municipal-type services to these residents through a variety of means, including interlocal agreements and contracts with neighboring municipalities, quasi-municipal entities and the private sector. These services include solid waste disposal, ambulance service, structural fire protection and sewer waste disposal, snow removal, and road maintenance/construction.
The next regular meeting of the Aroostook County Commissioners is slated for Wednesday, Sept. 18 in Fort Kent.