Board considers ordinance to keep properties clean

WEST PARIS — The board of selectmen is still considering an ordinance that will regulate the accumulation of junk, trash, debris and other hazardous materials in town.

A draft of the "property maintenance ordinance" has been reviewed and approved by the planning board. At the May 10 selectmen meeting, board members tabled the ordinance for further review.

"Numerous citizens have complained about trash," particularly up and down High Street, said Planning Board Chair Kenneth Poland. 

The ordinance is modeled after an ordinance in Indiana, and includes many of the same rules that are also applied in Woodstock.

"It seemed quite reasonable," said Poland, who requested that the board put the ordinance on the town meeting warrant, scheduled for next March.

The purpose of the ordinance "is to set a minimum standard for the maintenance of the grounds of property in order to protect public health, public safety, property values and to prevent nuisance conditions," the ordinance reads.

In addition, "all grounds or parts thereof shall be maintained to prevent unsafe, unsanitary and/or nuisance conditions (according to the nuisance definition found in State Law Title 17, Section 2802 ...) and to avoid any adverse affect on the value of adjoining properties."

Examples of items which may create such conditions include refuse, household trash, human waste and any item that may cause a health and/or safety concern.

The ordinance also prohibits non-natural materials including hazardous materials, metals, plastics, batteries, solid waste, garbage, tires, appliances, furniture or any other materials that are not included in the definition of clean fill.

It also states that "the placement of any prohibited fill shall be deemed a violation of [the] ordinance and shall be removed from the site under direction of the CEO (Code Enforcement Officer)."

The board will review the ordinance and recommend any changes. It will then schedule a public hearing for any further discussion. 

In other news, the board:

• Heard from Chris Davis of Healthy Oxford Hills that she will work with the town to create a workplace smoking policy, as well as some rules about smoking in public areas. She reported that 440,000 people die every year from smoking.

• Agreed that before the town can fix up the ballpark grandstands, the athletic association needs to determine a line item cost of the project and send it to the Budget Committee. 

• Reported that its letter of intent to ask for Safe Routes to Schools funding has been submitted to the Maine DOT. Town Manager John White said that he will be preparing the grant application in the next month.