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Council approves Arbor Day proclamation, golf‑cart lease and appointment; schedules meeting date changes
Summary
At its Feb. 24 meeting the Cumberland Town Council approved an Arbor Day proclamation, authorized a five‑year lease for 65 EZ Go electric golf carts and related equipment, appointed a council liaison to a joint committee with North Yarmouth, and moved two May meeting dates. The minutes from Feb. 10 were also approved.
The Cumberland Town Council took several routine actions at its Feb. 24 meeting, adopting a proclamation and approving municipal contracts and appointments.
Minutes and scheduling: The council unanimously approved the minutes from its Feb. 10 meeting. Later the council moved its May meetings: the May 12 council meeting was rescheduled to May 5, and the May 26 meeting was moved to May 27 to accommodate travel and the Memorial Day holiday.
Arbor Day proclamation: The council unanimously adopted a proclamation declaring April as Arbor Day in Cumberland and heard from the Lands and Conservation Commission about ongoing orchard and tree‑planting activities. The commission reported over 50 trees planted in the first orchard event, later giveaways of roughly 200 saplings, and another 300 trees on order for this year.
Equipment lease (golf carts): The council authorized the town manager to execute a five‑year lease with Huntington National Bank to replace the municipal golf‑cart fleet. The approved lease covers 65 electric EZ‑GO golf carts, five EZ‑GO utility vehicles, and 25 GPS screens. Town staff said the annual lease payment is approximately $158,000 and that projected golf‑course revenues will cover the payment; the council noted the GPS screens can also present sponsor messaging. The motion passed unanimously.
Appointment: The council appointed Councilor Bailey Douglas as the town‑council liaison to the Cumberland‑North Yarmouth Joint Standing Committee; the motion passed unanimously.
Public comment highlights: During the public‑comment portion several residents raised separate topics. One speaker urged the town’s decision to stop using artificial turf infill, citing health concerns about crumb rubber. Other residents urged fiscal caution for upcoming budgets and asked the council to prioritize commercial tax base preservation when evaluating large residential rezonings. Several speakers offered condolences for recent community deaths.
Ending: All agenda motions recorded at the Feb. 24 meeting passed unanimously as recorded in the meeting transcript; the council did not record individual vote counts in the public minutes for these items.
