[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-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",[32,74,86,98],{"_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":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6151275,"mediaKeyId","5504585-5ffdc86fd10c06857b6d12e3a9322d9b","parentId",5504585,"title","Council awards remediation contract to County Environmental Engineering","audioSeconds",96,"startMs",2144000,"endMs",2240000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5504585-5ffdc86fd10c06857b6d12e3a9322d9b&start=2144&end=2240","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5504585-5ffdc86fd10c06857b6d12e3a9322d9b/thumbnail_2144000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6151275/Caribou/Aroostook-County/Maine/Council-awards-remediation-contract-to-County-Environmental-Engineering","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6151275-6b8d25ba8773dbda11aac1eee7e88b7d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775361247&Signature=OwCk7oMft51u244w4ER8Rv3GygaWNWOVkQ1qsib02xPhlJUClkV-P1dnaLr94ATqJuvUzPEPI-1Rnd6ez-kuC0HIja~sggJ~5JAiwlYPXbCuqtEmgD0bNUI-ADsFLePHmB9~qfyfUd~682RPzcRh5GkD5DUkSw-5eiAN9IDC7VjXGKB3kkpBc7g5wRmJ8dkHD40bb8YAvPiUvUK-zho2IrijVKAvYp0h4Q7gvM595PBeLoXri4lh5zGbLIORu9HtwwW07DQ-uYNWmyFgD-paztODIjBNJ9zxMiL24ib18hbymNyIbL1JLKQ0v85V~fmPlgR~AJYXH-0pA2gGtUyu~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-29T12:42:21Z","article","CARIBOU, Maine — The Caribou City Council approved a bid from County Environmental Engineering to perform environmental remediation for a small area in the Bird's Eye neighborhood, a staff member told the council.

Councilors voted to accept the bid after confirming a timeline for the work. Councilor Bagley asked whether the remediation schedule implied a construction start and staff said the longest portion of the process would be advertising and bidding any follow‑on work, but staff expected work to be complete this fall. City staff clarified the remediation area is not part of the police station site and that only a small portion of Bird's Eye would be affected.

The vote was taken after a motion and a second; councilors present voted in favor and the mayor announced, \"Motion carries.\" The action authorizes the city manager to proceed with the remediation contract with County Environmental Engineering, and staff said they will coordinate scheduling and procurement steps before field work begins.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Caribou City Council 7/28/25","oneSentenceSummary","Caribou council approved a remediation contract with County Environmental Engineering for a cleanup in the Bird's Eye area; staff said work should be complete by fall and is separate from other construction projects in the area.","taxTitle","Caribou, Aroostook County, Maine","taxId",52157,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6151279,"Caribou council approves anti‑blight and revised anti‑nuisance ordinances after public concern over complaint rules",712,2778000,3490000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5504585-5ffdc86fd10c06857b6d12e3a9322d9b&start=2778&end=3490","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5504585-5ffdc86fd10c06857b6d12e3a9322d9b/thumbnail_2778000.jpg","/articles/6151279/Caribou/Aroostook-County/Maine/Caribou-council-approves-antiblight-and-revised-antinuisance-ordinances-after-public-concern-over-complaint-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6151279-537659f51269fb7a17477034edbb3740/orig.mp4?Expires=1775361247&Signature=aZuLaZSOcjgN1x7CU1JEtkvbn~ffytvAzOItnKJLgPID-ZwbSFcd8w0vUiR~CQMU8RyRC~-CqM7Ht8~h5SqyeCkRm2JBUb8eAbr5Za8a1dCYMAm6AfwFha3qDyeJOSZD2lgfDri07NSluF9BhzYuXz~VYTn2ZBXee8zeoAQE~KA4EXv0kgNDIY4cZ0PIH04VPTtdq-vesvCUzAEcVQrLne3Il8b32UVpf2NSiY3UDM-vi8FTlOKYAqDDS-fFifHKpC5adP9hAsqA6Mk9zAG6NparT9dno~lbDk~29ARStQv~gTaL~fQPHFHTDz~8O17cp3AeUNqXpJ15FkWgrRZUGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","CARIBOU, Maine — The Caribou City Council on Monday approved two ordinances aimed at addressing property blight and public nuisances, taking specific edits after public comment to avoid forcing residents to file written complaints that could be subject to public‑records requests.

At public hearings on Ordinance 1 (anti‑blight) and Ordinance 2 (anti‑nuisance), members of the public and councilors raised concerns that proposed language requiring complaints to be submitted in writing (city code references: section 4‑407 and section 6‑504(a) in drafts) could expose complainant names and addresses to Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) requests and could deter people from reporting problems.

City staff told the council that \"as it is now, we do not require people to put their complaints in writing,\" and that staff routinely investigates complaints received by phone. Staff recommended removing or revising the sentence that would have required written and signed complaints.

On the nuisance ordinance, councilors also reviewed a draft clause that would have limited certain complaints to residents \"living within 500 feet\" of an alleged nuisance; several councilors and members of the public urged striking that proximity limitation as unnecessary. One councilor described the change as a minor wording tweak: striking the words \"written\" and \"living within 500 feet thereof\" would leave the code enforcement officer able to act on complaints from any resident or city official.

After discussion, the council accepted Ordinance 1 as proposed with an edit to section 4‑408 and then approved Ordinance 2 with the recommended changes (removing the written‑complaint requirement and dropping the 500‑foot limit). Both measures passed after motions at the July meeting. Supporters said the edits would preserve staff ability to investigate anonymous or verbal complaints and avoid discouraging reporting; opponents mainly raised concerns about possible redundancy with the property maintenance code and the need to harmonize language.

Planning board members and the city attorney had previously flagged redundancy between the proposed ordinances and the existing property maintenance code; the council said it would send language questions back to the planning board where appropriate so zoning and enforcement provisions are aligned.

What’s next: City staff will reconcile the new ordinance language with existing property‑maintenance code provisions and return any recommended edits to the planning board or council as needed.

","At public hearings, residents asked the council to remove written‑complaint and 500‑foot proximity requirements; the council approved Ordinance 1 (anti‑blight) and Ordinance 2 (anti‑nuisance) with edits directing staff or the planning board to revise wording where needed.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6151284,"Council tables awarding of demolition contract for 49 Herschel St. until hazardous‑materials survey is complete",453,2243000,2696000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5504585-5ffdc86fd10c06857b6d12e3a9322d9b&start=2243&end=2696","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5504585-5ffdc86fd10c06857b6d12e3a9322d9b/thumbnail_2243000.jpg","/articles/6151284/Caribou/Aroostook-County/Maine/Council-tables-awarding-of-demolition-contract-for-49-Herschel-St-until-hazardousmaterials-survey-is-complete","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6151284-798303944294fac9d0a25c298ac8c445/orig.mp4?Expires=1775361247&Signature=FqsKPK6zgnlpdG6-OXuwkUUiIhdvB6gEWyk4eZiF2L0TQe0ME1f3TDF2DdkXGhgvxeQdqud3vnwEDDHd0kj3n4QdyZG5prXhY3dN82Eizt39NRWYv8LEt-eDfaZ8r0k~555rLiY5UjkMvwgvB1vFXhtCorrB4rEervA3B9I7RmZUqfNlyVVEBzD882pyT67sehRiu1ixNiCBUEeV~-3HhjdPrdkI3N3BkAKsfXrBvrqyXe13wVLBdqDFV1orguo67u2rfya1Nck2BmOUtyWVT347f1OGYHVfvFtynaG1~M3qxqN7lfkv6hUlySRGUvfBh~cQpithVuyJJiZRfzlv5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","CARIBOU, Maine — The Caribou City Council voted to table awarding a demolition contract for 49 Herschel Street until a hazardous‑materials inspection is completed and bidders submit more detailed scopes of work.

Councilors reviewed three bids for the long‑vacant, blighted building at 49 Herschel Street: Thibodeaux Trucking and Excavation of Washburn at $34,950, Soderberg Construction of Caribou at $88,500, and Magillan Inc. of Fort Fairfield at $71,100. City staff said the first round of bidding produced no offers and the second round produced the three bids included in the packet.

Several councilors voiced concern about the Thibodeaux bid because it gave minimal detail about exactly what would be removed and how the contractor would address concrete and wet material inside the structure. Councilor Joan Terrio said she had \"no problem with awarding the bid to him, but I think it needs to be laid out there that he's going to do ... apples to apples\" work compared with the other bidders before the city commits.

Councilor Bagley asked whether hazardous‑material work such as asbestos remediation was included in the bids; staff said it was not and that asbestos removal would require a separate contract if the inspection finds asbestos‑containing material. City staff confirmed the asbestos survey must be done first.

Because of those concerns, Councilor Kelly moved to table awarding the contract pending completion of the hazardous‑materials survey and clearer bid language; the motion was seconded and passed 5–1 (Bagley, Kelly, Lovewell, Terrio and Watson voted yes; Smith voted no).

City staff noted a few additional details: the city will apply available \"free tonnage\" at the landfill to reduce tipping fees for the demolition, which may have lowered the low bid; the material in the building is likely water‑logged and so tonnage estimates are difficult for bidders to calculate; and an asbestos inspection and, if needed, a separate asbestos abatement contract would be required before demolition.

The council also asked staff to revise the bid solicitation language to require bidders to itemize concrete removal, seeding/grading, and other key tasks so proposals can be compared on an \"apples to apples\" basis.

Next steps: staff will schedule an asbestos inspection and return to the council with the survey results and a revised, more detailed bid solicitation. The council will consider awarding a demolition contract only after the hazardous‑materials assessment and clearer bid terms are available.

","The council delayed awarding a low bid to Thibodeaux Trucking after members voiced concerns that the low bid lacked detail and because an asbestos survey must be completed before demolition; the council voted 5–1 to table.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6151289,"Caribou council adopts revised medical cannabis dispensary ordinance after heated public debate",3824,3496000,7320000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5504585-5ffdc86fd10c06857b6d12e3a9322d9b&start=3496&end=7320","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5504585-5ffdc86fd10c06857b6d12e3a9322d9b/thumbnail_3496000.jpg","/articles/6151289/Caribou/Aroostook-County/Maine/Caribou-council-adopts-revised-medical-cannabis-dispensary-ordinance-after-heated-public-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6151289-426b101118add89dd3715b2ff713c50d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775361247&Signature=BhJ-ogEiqZAH1EUdJJRrL3q~B682aJ-nR80-~n7t8Ufezk1NJU1V1BQs99-yXcJxvbfMU--h9BQpGmsolP7c8-ZDYroDRCEFxrAC7wSR7qJkw5F7UZ3z5CVDD7zJy0uplMh~dX0SoyMBeybJZ-b-nXrzN~9uPYq3kvjhiPmKJfg8pevGVG09vIfYtQ~mARxd3sC179-1aX5Jzl70xzhpvS9Yki6LgWYIvV1OZiaTgCqm56eoQnZL6rMo6xAsKF1L8YxyonWuXvtyI1KeDHH8TPC6Nr51uMWM7zjQO9VRqyHhuvNKIC0FclcHldrBEXdBDQTI5y9lRIl21DmoX66F~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","CARIBOU, Maine — The Caribou City Council voted to adopt a revised ordinance to allow medical cannabis dispensaries in the city, approving a measure that updates local zoning and licensing rules while prompting objections from the planning board and some residents.

The ordinance changes remove nonprofit-only language and creates a structure the council said will allow some for-profit medical dispensaries while preserving separation rules near schools and day cares. Supporters said the change will let existing caregivers pursue dispensary licenses; opponents warned the change bypassed the planning board’s authority and could invite legal challenges.

The planning board chair, Amanda Jondro, sent a July 25 letter saying the council’s draft bypassed the planning board and would render some existing businesses noncompliant. \"The proposed changes introduced in June clearly bypass this established process, therefore violating the city's ordinances,\" she wrote. The planning board also argued the draft’s zoning choices — restricting new dispensaries primarily to R-3 residential zones and classifying the existing RC-2 business on Bog Road as nonconforming — could disadvantage businesses and prompt litigation.

City staff and outside advisors disputed some of those assertions during the hearing. Jill Cohen, an attorney representing the local business owner who sought a dispensary license, said the state altered definitions last year and that the ordinance update was intended to bring the city into alignment with state law. \"The new law went into effect on Aug. 9, 2024,\" Cohen said, and it changed how caregiver retail offices are regulated at the state level, restricting in-person retail under certain caregiver registrations.

Representatives from the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy told the council the city was already effectively \"opted in\" to medical dispensaries for nonprofit caregivers; a narrow edit — removing the word \"nonprofit\" — would allow for-profit dispensaries subject to local zoning and licensing rules. Alisa Ellis of the Office of Cannabis Policy said municipalities often remove the nonprofit restriction and then direct the planning board to adjust zoning details.

Several residents and patients testified in support of allowing a local dispensary, saying in-person access matters for people who rely on medical cannabis. Carolie Carlson Harper, 81, said she currently travels to Presque Isle to buy medical cannabis and would prefer to shop locally. \"When I'm over there, I shop at stores over there. If this was approved, the people would be able to stay here in Caribou and spend their money at our stores,\" she said.

Council debate centered on process and zoning. Councilor Paul Watson and others urged a straightforward path that would let the planning board refine zoning details after the initial ordinance change. Councilor Bagley said the council should defer because the planning board had not been given the opportunity to act; Bagley said he would not support immediate approval. Despite that objection, the motion to adopt the revised ordinance passed on a 4-2 vote: yes — Kelly, Lovewell, Smith and Watson; no — Bagley and Terrio.

The ordinance includes grandfathering language for existing lawful operations and certain separation requirements from schools and day cares. The council and staff noted the language can be further revised in future meetings if zoning or licensing details need clarification. Councilors also discussed a cap (two dispensaries was discussed in public comment and drafts) and the possibility of routing specific zoning questions back to the planning board for implementation.

The ordinance’s immediate legal effect is to permit for-profit medical dispensaries under the city’s updated chapter 13 language; the council and city attorney said additional implementation steps — including zoning amendments, licensing procedures and potential limits on cultivation canopy size — will follow as administrative actions or future ordinance tweaks.

The council closed the public hearing and voted to adopt the revised ordinance at the July meeting. Councilors who opposed final passage said they preferred to send the draft back to the planning board; supporters said the change was needed to bring city code into line with state rules and to let an existing local caregiver pursue a dispensary license.

What’s next: the city attorney and planning staff will finalize implementing language and licensing procedures. The Office of Cannabis Policy advised the council on practical steps; staff said they will return with any technical zoning revisions recommended by the planning board or the city attorney.

(For background: testimony in the public hearing referenced the existing caregiver operation on Bog Road, state registration for caregivers, July 2 and July 25 attorney correspondence in the council packet, and the Aug. 9, 2024 state law change.)

","After hours of public comment and objections from the planning board, the Caribou City Council approved a revised ordinance to allow for-profit medical cannabis dispensaries with limits and zoning changes, while preserving existing caregiver operations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council awards remediation contract to County Environmental Engineering

Caribou council approves anti‑blight and revised anti‑nuisance ordinances after public concern over complaint rules

Council tables awarding of demolition contract for 49 Herschel St. until hazardous‑materials survey is complete

Caribou council adopts revised medical cannabis dispensary ordinance after heated public debate