FY2024 Town Warrant

2024 DURHAM TOWN WARRANT ARTICLES

To: Kimberly Garneau, a resident of the Town of Durham, Androscoggin County, State of Maine

Greetings:

In the name of the State of Maine, you are hereby required to notify and warn the Inhabitants of the Town of Durham in said county and state, qualified by law to vote in Town affairs, to assemble at The Durham Eureka Community Center, 606 Hallowell Road, Durham, Maine on Friday, April 5, 2024 at 7:45 a.m., then and there to act upon Article 1 and by secret ballot on Articles 2 as set out below. Polls will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Further, to notify and warn said inhabitants to assemble at Durham Community School on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 9:00 a.m., then and there to act upon Articles 3 through 39 as set out to wit:

Article 1      To choose a moderator to preside at said meeting.

Article 2      To elect all municipal officers, school committee members, and budget
               committee members as are required to be elected.

Article 3      To see if the town will allow non-residents, who have information pertaining to
               any following articles, to speak when recognized.

Article 4 To see if the Town of Durham will vote to raise and appropriate an amount not to exceed the 2023 Durham Municipal Budget for any budget articles not approved in this warrant.

OVERSPENT ARTICLE

Article 5 To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and transfer $3,235 from undesignated fund balance to cover Fire Department expenditures above the approved 2022 Fire Department budget.

Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

2024 DURHAM TOWN WARRANT ARTICLES

OPERATING BUDGET ARTICLES

Article 6   To see if the Town will Vote to raise and appropriate $689,991 for General
            Government.
                                                             FY23 Appr             FY24 Req
            Administration                               $      518,124        $     473,656
            Municipal Buildings & Grounds                        30,565                22,235
            Assessing                                            21,000                22,800
            Information Technology                               52,000                47,000
            Planning and Code Enforcement                        56,420              124,300

Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

Article 7   To see if the Town will Vote to raise and appropriate $622,495 for Public Safety.

                                                 FY23 Appr              FY24 Req
Fire Department                             $      522,470         $     603,845
Animal Control                                      18,600                18,650

Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

Article 8   To see if the Town will Vote to raise and appropriate $1,843,228 for Public
            Works.
                                                             FY23 Appr              FY24 Req
            Public Works                                 $ 1,338,920           $ 1,454,228
            Solid Waste                                         370,000               375,000
            Tags                                                  2,540                  2000
            Bulky Waste Day                                      12,000                 12,000

Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

Article 9   To see if the Town will Vote to raise and appropriate $16,700 for Community
            Services.
                                                             FY23 Appr            FY24 Req
            General Assistance                           $          600        $        600
            Durham Youth Baseball                                 2,500               2,500
            Durham Snowmobile Trails                              1,100               1,100
            AMVETS (Generator)                                        0               2,500
            Freeport Scholarship Fund                                 0             10,000

Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

2024 DURHAM TOWN WARRANT ARTICLES

Article 10   To see if the Town will Vote to raise and appropriate $780,349 for Debt Service.

                                                 FY23 Appr              FY24 Req
Debt Service                                       958,394               780,349

Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

ADDITIONS TO RESERVES ARTICLES

Article 11 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $180,000 for the Fire Department Capital Reserve. Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

Article 12 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $205,000 for the Public Works Department Capital Reserve. Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

Article 13 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $10,000 for the Municipal Buildings Capital Reserve. Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

Article 14 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $50,000 for the Eureka Community Center Reserve. Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

Article 15 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $160,000 for the Assessing and Revaluation Reserve. Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

Article 16   To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $2,293 for the Grants Match
             Reserve.

Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

2024 DURHAM TOWN WARRANT ARTICLES

Article 17 To see if the Town will Vote to raise and appropriate $9,543 for the Union Church Restoration Reserve. Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

Explanatory Note: The monies in the Union Church Restoration Fund would be managed jointly by the Historical Society and the Town. Any expenditure from the Fund would be for maintenance, repair and/or restoration of the Church. All expenditures would be approved by the Select Board.

FUNDING SOURCES ARTICLES

Article 18   To see if the Town will Vote to reduce the amounts authorized to be raised in
             taxes in Articles 6 through 17 by $2,562,114 based on estimates for non-tax
             municipal revenues.
                                                               FY23 Est              FY24 Est
             Excise Taxes                                 $ 1,034,097          $ 1,100,000
             Licenses, Permits, and Fees                         80,212                75,400
             Intergovernmental Revenue                          936,174             1,149,714
             Charges for Services                               163,703               172,000
             Other Revenues                                      66,603                65,000
             Total                                           $2,280,789            $2,562,114

Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

Article 19 To see if the Town will authorize the Select Board to appropriate up to $668,000 from the General Fund’s existing fund balance to reduce the amounts authorized to be raised in taxes in Articles 6 through 17.

Select Board recommends $668,000. Budget Committee recommends $628,475.

2024 DURHAM TOWN WARRANT ARTICLES

RESERVE APPROPRIATIONS ARTICLES

(Note: The amounts approved in this section do not affect the amount of taxes being raised.)

Article 20 To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $9,130 from Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (aka American Rescue Plan or ARPA Funds) received by the Town from the federal government for the following project: Upgrades to the Eureka Community Center. Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

Article 21 To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $25,000 from Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (aka American Rescue Plan or ARPA Funds) received by the Town from the federal government for the following project: Computer Aided Dispatch for Emergency Vehicles Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

Article 22 To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $10,500 from Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (aka American Rescue Plan or ARPA Funds) received by the Town from the federal government for the following project: Codification of the Towns Land Use Ordinance Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

Article 23 To see if the Town will authorize the Select Board to appropriate funds upon the request of the Town Manager from the Town’s reserves as they deem necessary for expenditures in accordance with the purpose of the reserves.

Select Board and Budget Committee recommend Approval.

2024 DURHAM TOWN WARRANT ARTICLES

ORDINANCE WARRANT ARTICLES

Article 24 To see if the Town will vote to enact amendments to the Land Use Ordinance as set forth in the document “Town of Durham, Land Use Ordinance as Adopted at Town Meeting, April 1, 2023, Proposed Revisions for Town Meeting, April 6, 2024, PART 1 – DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOUSING DIVERSITY & TO COMPLY WITH STATE LAW ON HOUSING DENSITY (Articles 4, 5, 16, & 19)” to make greater allowance for accessory apartments and to increase lot sizes where State law requires multiple full-sized dwelling units on a single lot. Copies are available at the Town Office or online at www.durhamme.com

o Yes

o No

Article 25 To see if the Town will vote to enact amendments to the Land Use Ordinance as set forth in the document “Town of Durham, Land Use Ordinance as Adopted at Town Meeting, April 1, 2023, Proposed Revisions for Town Meeting, April 6, 2024, PART 2 – DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO ENACT STANDARDS FOR SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS (Articles 3, 5, 8, & 19)” to establish submission requirements, review procedures, and performance standards for solar energy systems. Copies are available at the Town Office or online at www.durhamme.com

o Yes

o No

Article 26 To see if the Town will vote to enact amendments to the Land Use Ordinance as set forth in the document “Town of Durham, Land Use Ordinance as Adopted at Town Meeting, April 1, 2023, Proposed Revisions for Town Meeting, April 6, 2024, PART 3 – DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO CODIFY CERTAIN FEES FOR INCLUSION IN THE FEE SCHEDULE (Article 18)” to enact new fees for certain permitting services provided by Town. Copies are available at the Town Office or online at www.durhamme.com

o Yes

o No

2024 DURHAM TOWN WARRANT ARTICLES

BUSINESS ARTICLES

Article 27 To see if the town will vote to authorize the Select Board, on behalf of the Town, to transfer the property located at 744 Royalsborough Road, Durham, Maine, also known as the Union Church, to the Durham Historical Society by means of a quitclaim deed.

Explanatory Note: The deed from the Town to the Historical Society would contain a reversionary clause that would require the Union Church to be used solely for the Historical Society use and if the property were ever to be used for other purposes, the property would revert back to the Town.

Article 28 To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Selectboard to spend the funds in the Union Church Restoration Reserve account in conjunction with the Durham Historical Society for repairs and maintenance of the Union Church.

Explanatory Note: Prior to this Annual Meeting there was $21,632 in the Union Church Restoration account. Article 17 asked the town to raise and appropriate an additional $9,543 to the reserve account for a total of $31,175.

Article 29 To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to seek, accept and disburse grant funds from private, state or federal agencies, for the purpose so designated in each specific grant.

Article 30 To see what action the Town will take in regard to fixing interest on delinquent taxes and establishing a date for interest to start. Interest shall begin to accrue on all unpaid taxes forty-five days after the date taxes are committed. The interest rate on delinquent taxes shall be the maximum allowable by State Law.

Article 31   To see if the Town will vote to leave the appointment of standing committee
             members and officials in the hands of the Select Board.

Article 32 To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to dispose of town owned property which they determine is no longer needed or usable by the town, on such terms as they deem advisable.

Article 33 To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board, on behalf of the Town, to sell and/or dispose of any property acquired by tax liens and allow the Select Board to authorize the Treasurer to waive automatic lien foreclosures when it is in the best interest of the Town.

Article 34   To see if the Town will vote to set the interest rate to be paid by the Town on
             overpayment of abated taxes at 2% pursuant to 36 MRSA § 506-A.