CARIBOU, Maine — Caribou Secession Committee spokesperson Paul Camping told council members during public comment Monday that his committee is eager to have their public hearing at any time and at any place. He also let the council know that the committee’s Impact on Property Taxes Report for taxpayers in secession territory and Caribou (which according to Camping is required by law for the public hearing) is ready to go.
Mayor Gary Aiken said it would be nice to see the report before deciding on a date for the public hearing so the public would have a heads-up on the evening’s discussion.
“Caribou City Council is stalling,” Camping said in an interview after the meeting. “They want to see the report — that’s not how it works.”
Camping admitted he wants to save the report for the public hearing and is afraid that if the information is released early it would be used in a way that would damage the secession committee’s credibility.
Camping left Monday’s meeting shortly after public comment before the council settled on a date for the public hearing. Council members came to an agreement on June 11 at 6 p.m. with an alternate date of June 16 for the secession committee’s public hearing.
Also Monday, Resident Milo Haney addressed the city council and asked for a 30-day extension on the matter of paying back taxes for 2012-14. The council moved to have Haney pay his taxes for 2012-13 immediately and allowed for the 30-day extension on his 2014 taxes.
In other business, the city will invest $3 million into five-year CDs through Aroostook Savings and Loan. The money will be used to invest in the local community and help prospective Caribou residents purchase homes. Mayor Aiken asked to send the balance to a general revenue fund and councilman David Martin moved to accept the investment plan; it passed unanimously.
At the last city council meeting, members rejected bids on an outdated fire truck the city retired. After an attempt to see if the city could sell the truck outside the U.S. and finding out that the truck cannot be sold to any emergency service agency either in the U.S. or beyond per the grant agreement for their new fire truck, the council has put the old truck back up for bid with a reserve bid of $7,000.
The money from the sale of 63 Sweden Street has prompted the city to consider renovating the municipal building. The city received $73,000 from the sale of the property and the money will be moved to a municipal fund. The municipal building committee will work on the renovation details.
The Caribou City Council will meet again on Monday, June 8 at 6 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall.
