HOULTON, Maine — The Aroostook County Commissioners this week denied an appeal to keep a portion of Devoe Brook Road in Eagle Lake plowed in the winter.
Eagle Lake officials decided Sept. 17 to close Devoe Brook Road to winter maintenance.
Petitioners Julie and Shawn Hilton said the town erred, basing its decision on non-statutory requirements such as cost to build the road to a certain standard and cost to maintain the road during the winter.
Town officials said cost figured in, but the decision met statutory rules, according to appeal hearing documents.
According to Maine law, a municipality may vote to close and not maintain any road or portion of a road from November through April. The law dictates that the decision is based on population, use and travel.
Voters may appeal the decision to the county commissioners within 30 days of the municipality ordering the road closed during the winter months.
The Hiltons’ appeal petition, signed by nine Eagle Lake voters, was submitted to the County Commissioners on Oct. 18 and the commissioners heard testimony on the matter in a Dec. 17 hearing at the courthouse in Caribou.
During the December hearing, petitioners said the town should only base its decision “on the fact that more people are moving to places that once were not inhabited and that they are entitled to the same level of services as other residents of the community, mainly road maintenance including winter plowing.”
Eagle Lake Town Manager John Sutherland maintained that the municipality has the authority to close the road to winter maintenance and that it followed proper statutory procedure in making its final determination.
The town did not refute that cost did play a factor in recommending the road closure, according to the appeal petition documents. The petitioners reiterated during the hearing that the town should only base its decision on the fact that more people are moving to previously uninhabited places.
Former County Administrator Ryan Pelletier drafted the denial decision for the commissioners based on materials submitted and testimony given during the Caribou hearing, Interim County Administrator Dana Gendreau said during this week’s meeting.
In the appeal decision, the county commissioners found that all statutory time frames and requirements were met and complied with its obligations and procedural requirements under state law.
