ALFRED - York County is moving forward with operationalizing the dredge with the signing of the first MOU agreement with a municipality.
At their April 10th meeting, the York County Commission voted unanimously to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding agreement with the City of Saco that outlines a framework for the use and funding of dredge operations. “The dredge will be a critical tool to help restore our dunes and beaches and make our coast more resilient to future storms,” says County Commissioner Justin Chenette, whose district includes Saco and Old Orchard Beach. “I will continue to push for Saco to be one of the first to benefit from county-led dredge operations because of the level of erosion we are experiencing and our urgent need in Camp Ellis.” County officials have engaged 6 other municipalities that plan to sign a similar agreement, especially considering the damage from the January storm. The dredge is currently being housed at Saco Public Works and is the process of being transported to Portland for painting and full assembly. Early next month the dredge will be towed down to Wells Harbor to house it there. Dredging projects would begin later this year after more formal contracts and project specifics are crafted.
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ALFRED - The York County Budget Committee has several vacancies to fill ahead of the 2024 budget season. The caucus for the selection of the 10 vacancies will be held on Wednesday April 10th at 6:30PM at the York County Government Building, 149 Jordan Springs Road in Alfred. The budget committee is comprised of 3 members from each of the 5 commission districts, with two being elected municipal officials and one representing a member of the public. Members are selected at an annual caucus, typically held in April, where any elected municipal official in the county can vote on the selection. It can also have a non-voting member from the legislative delegation. “I would encourage the communities in my district to send elected officials to the caucus to vote on the vacancies and put forward individuals interested in serving on the committee as we have 2 spots open,” says County Commissioner Justin Chenette, who represents Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Hollis, and Buxton. “This part of the public process is entirely separate from the commission and is a critical step towards ensuring that the county budget is finalized by the communities throughout York County in a transparent and accountable way.” The county budget process involves county commissioners hearing budget presentations from the county manager and various department heads in late March and early April. After the commission passes the initial version of the budget, it then goes to the budget committee where there will be deliberations and a public hearing, likely in May. The committee then adopts its version of the budget and submits it back to the commission, who can either adopt it as is or modify it. If commissioners decide to modify the budget, it then goes back to the budget committee for final passage either by overriding the commission decision or agreeing with the changes made as the final step in the process. The budget must be adopted prior to the start of the new fiscal year starting July 1st. Questions about the process or the budget committee’s work can be directed to the budget committee chair Jo-Ann Putnam at [email protected]. |
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