[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6303931,"mediaKeyId","2469988-d0bbb3ea6cd299d783628123372031c0","parentId",2469988,"title","Ellsworth school official outlines grant reliance and urgent track repairs, proposes TELP phase 2 to fund lights","audioSeconds",1575,"startMs",115000,"endMs",1690000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2469988-d0bbb3ea6cd299d783628123372031c0&start=115&end=1690","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2469988-d0bbb3ea6cd299d783628123372031c0/thumbnail_115000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6303931/Maine/Ellsworth-school-official-outlines-grant-reliance-and-urgent-track-repairs-proposes-TELP-phase-2-to-fund-lights","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6303931-bac0c9f2954201dc99602377778fc364/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160509&Signature=cIkordpnD~kXUG~OQb5JHvZp6fr~bmRIrrymEPA9~YJwVnkcP3l~yNbDEtyqTjNi0gitrBHBlocjZMt4xWlFMKAwGih-kDxnd1ksDJIaf-XAwgSQ0HcW-tm5A~lJo4XnA1aoPqZV~uMXLvuSU3wKlL0rspOHebVC8IH1pHrcRGlMcTWYGb7dCzIfyKikTeCCaRdrexjW~PdxZAYkg4N1QHdqSIrU36KqWZeecCdhkN5MIo0mk8QQR1cV3hbZ800~4zrbtsdtGQRcnkBKjEtKhyrkNItKS1cWmQBLq0ZnOYqinp9Z0SeA6Yk7AGcuOxCyhPsL0QTGi4MEx~ZaMvHsdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-28T14:18:54Z","article","Amy, a school department official, told the Finance Committee that the district relies on a mix of federal and state grant programs that “help offset our local budget,” and warned that potential changes to federal funding could force “drastic reconfiguration” of staff and services.

Amy said the district’s federal grant receipts include ESEA funds (Title I, II, IV and V), local entitlement for special education, Perkins/CTE grants for Hancock County Technical Center, and COVID-era funds to prevent student homelessness. She said state grants and smaller federal awards also support adult education, family literacy and technology (Teach with Tech). “This kind of gives you a picture. It's a lot of money that helps offset our local budget,” she said.

Nut graf: The presentation framed two budget risks for FY26: (1) a heavy reliance on grants that could change with state or federal decisions, and (2) an immediate facilities need at the high-school track that Amy said is unsafe for championship competition and has both lighting and resurfacing components she estimates could exceed $1 million.

On grants and staffing, Amy said some grant lines pay for positions and program-specific supplies and professional development; she noted that local entitlement for special education covers staffing and specialized instructional materials that are not in the local budget. She said the district has been advised by the superintendents association not to assume continuation of all federal funds when preparing the local budget and that the district will present a fuller accounting at the formal budget presentation.

Amy listed current grant efforts: applications for a comprehensive after‑school program and a Rural Utilities Service (RUS) grant to support instructional technology upgrades and classroom standardization, both described as competitive.

On the athletic facility, Amy said the track is “dangerous” and that the district likely will need to close parts of the track this spring; she said the lights are “now gonna be really unsafe” and that resurfacing plus lights “is probably gonna be over a million dollars.” She described a school reserve earmarked for lights of about $100,000 and said an estimated cost for lighting alone ranges from about $230,000 to $300,000 depending on scope and whether existing poles can be reused. Amy added that resurfacing work carries long lead times and currently has roughly a one‑year scheduling delay.

Amy proposed including the lighting portion in a TELP phase 2 package being prepared by EMC (the contractor who managed a recent phase 1 TELP project). She said phase 1 produced significant energy and facilities improvements and that rolling lights into a broader efficiency project could reduce net annual budget hits via TELP payments and energy savings. “We would look to do a TELP again like we did with phase 1,” she said, and added that a phase 2 TELP proposal and budget details would be presented to the council after the Facilities Committee meeting where EMC will present specifics.

Committee members asked technical questions about life expectancy of a track, bonding as a financing option, whether lights could be installed without interfering with later track resurfacing, and whether poles need replacing. Amy said contractors had told staff that poles could generally be reused and that poles sit outside the fenced track area, so lights could be installed without preventing later resurfacing work. She said some proposals suggested adequate lighting could be achieved with four rather than six poles, and that EMC project management would firm up scope and excavator/electrical sequencing prior to work.

Amy asked for guidance on whether the city and school would split cost shares (one suggested split was one‑third school, one‑third city, one‑third private fundraising) and whether the city would commit to pursuing the lighting portion now. Several committee members expressed support for pursuing lights through the TELP phase 2 approach and for including the project in the FY26 budget process while recognizing final approval must come through the formal budget and council process.

Ending: Amy said the schools will bring detailed TELP numbers, estimated TELP match and payment schedules, and grant application status back to the council and Finance Committee at upcoming meetings; she said she will return in two weeks with further budget materials and that the phase 2 TELP presentation will be discussed at the Facilities Committee prior to coming to the council.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Finance Committee Meeting - February 28th, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Amy, a school department official, told the Finance Committee that the district relies on a mix of federal and state grant programs that “help offset our local budget,” and warned that potential changes to federal funding could force “drastic reconfiguration” of staff and services.","taxTitle","Finance Committee, Ellsworth, Hancock, Maine","taxId",70091,"location","Maine","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6303922,"Resident urges clearer city spending decisions and questions enforcement, equipment and legal costs",1026,2494000,3520000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2469988-d0bbb3ea6cd299d783628123372031c0&start=2494&end=3520","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2469988-d0bbb3ea6cd299d783628123372031c0/thumbnail_2494000.jpg","/articles/6303922/Maine/Resident-urges-clearer-city-spending-decisions-and-questions-enforcement-equipment-and-legal-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6303922-1f5c32fd64c20564becae7618e8f30b8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160509&Signature=CkG6b1-M6pZuuuVR5OyS4g65fOl0LREYK73SUUsThxU1cftF9fv8dQ88p-o-tkrtvyf785SgmVfeoiPl8AuF9HoNJovuo7SoxWokuDO1jd40z0Xe2S1puVTSuT~A8LxKwEEEiagpf4r9JgTu9h7RmX~0wrAxUfLNuQeR55fStdCms1jHYlMLdynBa9dt2A6qSrxmxN38Un4UX-uCVV5C9CRIIlDKR-kV1P4f3TOorRsVmlFD-YW~jR8KFOfWIUyAjDNcqX6fUJKO6ykw8GdZQYsYkeQwuvHL6zxDmTdofzrNfgaOuYUKIb1Cyvsz2BQSQOkFDTLNIOKOvRMi-cxtmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Roger Gillig, identified in the meeting as an Ellsworth resident, used the public-comment portion of the Finance Committee meeting to raise multiple concerns about city spending, equipment disposition and code‑enforcement practices.

Gillig told the committee he has been notified of enforcement action and that city legal actions against residents appear numerous; he asked whether the council or another body reviews or authorizes lawsuits before they proceed. “My concerns are with the the spending of the city,” he said.

Nut graf: Gillig criticized several administrative decisions and anecdotal practices — the sale of heavy equipment, vehicle and bus maintenance locations, the purchase of a bucket truck, and alleged patterns in code‑enforcement attention — and asked the committee to clarify the city’s process for initiating legal enforcement and to review spending priorities.

Gillig said the city sold an excavator and a backhoe that he believed had resale value and questioned why the city would buy specialized equipment (he referenced a recently purchased bucket truck) while apparently lacking in-house mechanics to maintain it. He recommended returning school buses to the city garage to save costs and asked whether the city could rely more on local contractors for tree work and other services rather than purchasing specialized vehicles.

Gillig said he believed the city was pursuing “numerous lawsuits” against residents and estimated legal spending was high; a committee member responded that the speaker’s $400,000 figure for legal spending was inaccurate and that total legal spending over three years was “well under” that amount (one committee member later recalled the figure was roughly $470,000 over three years). Committee members said they could not discuss specifics of pending enforcement or litigation in public but agreed to review and report back on the city’s enforcement and litigation process at the next Finance Committee meeting.

Ending: Committee members asked staff to return with a clear explanation of the city’s enforcement process and any procedures for authorizing legal action; staff said they would review the violator enforcement fund, lien processes and related steps and report back at the next meeting.","Resident Roger Gillig used public comment to challenge city spending decisions and enforcement practices, citing lawsuits, sale of equipment, high repair bills and perceived lack of communication; committee members said they will review enforcement and process questions at the next finance meeting.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6303926,"Finance Committee to rebid local road contract after discrepancies in submitted proposals",581,1689000,2270000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2469988-d0bbb3ea6cd299d783628123372031c0&start=1689&end=2270","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2469988-d0bbb3ea6cd299d783628123372031c0/thumbnail_1689000.jpg","/articles/6303926/Maine/Finance-Committee-to-rebid-local-road-contract-after-discrepancies-in-submitted-proposals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6303926-5e618eb349f62f09627990f930c04ceb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160509&Signature=AOobSepweXpgeqcS91DVoXHPU4-RRhDuT2-qUebU2LaPuNTnl6ObIG04WUAo3Vs2ppX0UID1JB7TsPRdyEDTqvGbP4rHI6bilLHxrN6LG48-SrWxVCJ5jt-wCIlv1qHi48Zre0fMa9nNFYemGXVtnqQnwJYxLYJ-rIiq8YRMm53g07t6laWs~qG5eFNH6PFSqsGjgncicAIfogpr~woePDyYh55i0QJZnGshRNN6FCV79Vre2YxjIo6GUWspTpcFMuIzzFBzRrZKKsygYW57N0kWi2C9lGICtS6-8a5YyQ0fctsz7gxWRsA9ujxj-R8xjGmZcAFXhMPht5OaSdbr3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Finance Committee meeting, members discussed discrepancies in recently received road bids and said the administration will reissue the request to make the procurement clearer for all bidders.

Steve, a Finance Committee member, said the city will “put it back out to bid” after some submissions used differing assumptions about lengths of road segments and other particulars that made apples‑to‑apples comparisons difficult.

Nut graf: The committee directed staff to reissue the road RFP quickly, host a public information session for bidders to clarify outstanding questions, and attempt to schedule final consideration of bids at the March council meeting; members said they want full transparency and to see all submitted prices at bid openings.

City staff described prior outreach to about five contractors and said two firms submitted bids under the previous solicitation; committee members said they expect staff to notify bidders immediately and to publish all bid prices for public review. One committee member asked to be present at bid openings and to receive email notification for all bid openings going forward.

The administration said it will repost the RFP, schedule an information session for potential bidders, and attempt to maintain the project timeline so paving can proceed as weather and contractor schedules allow. Staff also noted the procurement policy permits addenda where multiple contractors ask similar clarifying questions, and officials said they will use such addenda when needed to make the solicitation clear.

Ending: Staff said the reposted RFP is likely to be published the following Monday, with a bidders’ information session the same week and a target to have the matter prepared for the March council meeting; the committee emphasized the need to avoid future misunderstandings and to preserve integrity in the bidding process.","Committee members agreed to reissue the road solicitation after bidder submissions showed inconsistent assumptions on road lengths; officials said they will host a public information session for contractors and aim to have clarified bids before the March council meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Ellsworth school official outlines grant reliance and urgent track repairs, proposes TELP phase 2 to fund lights

Resident urges clearer city spending decisions and questions enforcement, equipment and legal costs

Finance Committee to rebid local road contract after discrepancies in submitted proposals