Again one of Maine's small communities, at the far edge of the county, seperated from the county seatby distance and a large native waterway is in for a struggle.
Population 743 men, women and children, 10% unemployment, rising taxes and no major employer.
A place were customers/residents don't have stocks, bonds, bars of gold, treasury notes or large stashes of cash...what they do have is their land, it is their only family investment they can afford (and some are in fear of losing that).
We enjoy a simple life, hunting, fishing, sledding and riding our ATV, coffee at the store and visiting the library, most folks want to be left alone to enjoy what they think is theirs.
Work continues on a massive overhaul of a land use ordiance that is scheduled to be presented at spring meeting 2010. An ordinance that will restrict land owner rights, change shoreland zoning and even limit where you can build. As was reported to me, a group called Concerned Citizens of Clifton is forming to defeat this measure and hope to convince the selectboard not to even place it on the warrant for spring meeting. A motion to "passover" could be in order. Why not be like other towns and use the state shoreland ordinacne is there a special reason we need to have higher standards. In fact they would like the board, which asked for a simple ordinance years ago to stop work on drafting the document and go back to page one. Maybe let the CEO who deals with issues daily suggest or draft an ordinance what he feels might be workable for his job.
The more we pick on our neighbors for stupid things just puts more fuel in the fire to stop work on this ordinance. An example of "emotional distrubed" things is a matter, as reported, heading to the planning board. It appears that a person owns a small construction business, having a dump truck and small tractor. At night this person brings the truck home from the job and parks it on his property. Some think person is running a business from their home and should have a commerical permit. My thought and others - hogwash. So everyone who brings home a company truck running a business at their home. A local guy who hires out his tractor to bush hog, he is running a business? How about the logger with the skidder in the yard - a business? Oh wait what if you plow driveways and the plow is in your yard? The list goes on and on...this is just plan nuts or spiteful, certainly not what I would call a church going way. Yet some want more ordinances! We aren't even there yet and see what is happening around town. In my view someone should just be slapped side of the head for even bringing things like the up...which again leads me to wonder why it is going to the planning board. File a complaint with the CEO, he will investigate and issue findings. If action is needed the CEO will go to the board of selectman for funding (use your tax dollars) to cause legal action. Complaints like this should not be at the planning board. Its getting to the point that maybe we need to put our signs that snoopers are not allowed. What do you think, do you think parking your company vehicle in your dooryard should require a permit and planning board approval?
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