Also hears about other potential cost increases and signs warrant for November 3 RSU reorganization ballot question special town meeting.

Shaun Farrar

just now

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Paradis Ace Hardware.

---

TRENTON—At its September 29 meeting, the Trenton Select Board was asked if it would support raising the fee amount for a Planning Board land use application.

Select Board Chair Fred Ehrlenbach said that the fee is currently $150 and that amount does not cover the advertising or the postage.

According to Town Administrator Carol Reed Walsh, the size of the public notice ad dictates the exact price but they average about $100 each. The town also has to send out notices to abutting property owners: those properties that touch the property lines of the applicant property, as well as properties across the street, and properties behind the applicant property receive notices via the mail.

With the postage for each notice being $.78 per envelope and the labor costs involved, just preparing the notices can quickly exceed that $150 fee.

“How much do we need to charge to cover it?” asked member Judith Sproule.

“You’re losing at least $50-60 for every application that we process,” said Walsh.

Member Susan Sargent asked if it should be raised to $250 and member John Bennett made a motion to raise the fee to $225 which was seconded by Sargent and passed.

---

SNOW PLOW CONTRACT

Chair Ehrlenbach wanted to make the Select Board aware that the town’s snow plow contract has a provision that if the cost of diesel fuel goes above $7.50 a gallon, the total price of the contract will increase by $125 for every one cent increase in fuel.

The town’s snow plow contracts are for five years and the current contract goes through the winter of 2028.

When the current contract was signed, “we thought that diesel fuel would never reach $7.50 a gallon,” said Chair Ehrlenbach.

---

SPECIAL TOWN MEETING

The Select Board signed the warrant for the special town meeting that will be held on November 3 for the potential RSU reorganization vote.

Member Danielle Cole asked if people could vote via absentee ballot for the special town meeting and was told that they could.

---

DITCHING ON THE GRAY ROAD AND WINTER SAND

Chair Ehrlenbach told the Select Board that the galvanized culvert on the Gray Road culvert has failed and will be replaced. The area around the failed culvert will be ditched with the built up sand removed, and while they are ditching that area, they will ditch down to Oak Point Road from the area of the culvert replacement.

Approximately 800 yards of sand will need to be purchased, along with the appropriate amount of salt, according to Chair Ehrlenbach.

Member Bennett asked if it was possible for the town to switch to salt only and after a bit of discussion, it was ruled out due to the expense.

---

QUITCLAIM DEED

The Select Board voted to sign a quitclaim deed for a property owner whose property had been foreclosed on by the town for lack of payment of property taxes.

The person has worked hard for the last five or six years to get the back taxes paid, according to Walsh.

---

PUBLIC HEARING

Prior to the regular meeting on September 29, the Select Board held a public hearing for the town’s general assistance budget. Maine state law requires that municipal officers amend towns’ General Assistance Ordinances on a regular basis to stay current with local prices for food, housing, and other cost centers covered under the general assistance program. Most Maine municipalities do this in the fall of each year.

There was no public comment against the ordinance, but there were some clarifying questions from audience members.

An audience member asked how many people take advantage of the program and Walsh said that there were two applications last year and none the year before.

The same audience member then asked how the assistance works and Chair Ehrlenbach responded that people fill out an application and if they qualify, the assistance check is sent to the provider of whatever service they were seeking assistance for and checks are never made out to the individual applying.

Chair Ehrlenbach also said that the state reimburses 75% of what the town gives out in assistance.

Member Sproule told the audience member that the town has $5,000 in the budget for the assistance program.

Walsh said that the town has never used all of the funding and in fact, when she first started working for the town it was $6,000 and it was reduced because it wasn’t being used.

Any unused funds roll over into other budgetary accounts at the end of the fiscal year and the assistance line item is refunded for the new budget year according to Chair Ehrlenbach.

Member Bennett made a motion to accept the general assistance maximums, it was seconded, and passed.

---

COMMITTEE UPDATES

Member Sproule said that October 29 will be the kick off meeting for the comprehensive planning process. This meeting is intended to be an opportunity for residents to tell the committee members and the town what their visions for Trenton are and will be held at the Trenton Elementary School at 6 p.m.

---

HELP SUPPORT THE BAR HARBOR STORY

When we started The Bar Harbor Story, we didn’t know if anyone would read it. But you showed up. You shared. You sent tips. Now—over 400,000 views every month later—it’s clear: people here care about their community and each other.

We’ve kept everything free because news should never be out of reach, but every one of our stories takes time to write, and your support keeps The Bar Harbor Story going.

If you value our work, please consider a paid subscription, a founding membership, or a sponsorship.

It truly helps us cover one more meeting, tell one more story, shine one more light.

Even $5 a month makes a difference. Click here to become a one-time supporter now.

Thank you so much for being here.

Founding member information can be found here.

Have questions about sponsorships? Just send Shaun an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you.

---