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Select board splits provider requests, raises mooring fees and waives ADU permit cost in budget work session
Summary
During budget review the board agreed to group provider agency funding as a separate warrant article for voters, approved raising resident mooring fees to $50 and nonresident moorings to $200, and set the building permit fee for accessory dwelling units to $0; the board also approved a $335,890.84 AP warrant and appointed a planning board member.
On March 24 the Newcastle Select Board advanced several budget‑related items: it moved community provider agency funding into a separate warrant article for voters to decide, approved changes to the fee schedule for moorings, and set the building permit fee for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to zero.
Staff presented a public version of the draft budget showing proposed changes and explained that the board’s proposal was intended to keep the municipal maintenance‑of‑effort budget stable while letting voters decide agency increases. The board voted to group provider funding as a separate warrant article so residents can consider those requests independently at the polls.
Staff said planning and development spending showed a 13.2% increase, largely reflecting a reallocation of some general government costs into planning and additional hours for the code enforcement officer. The manager also proposed adding a half‑time assistant planner mid‑year; board members asked for more complete school budget figures before making large changes.
The board amended the fee schedule: resident mooring fees were raised from $40 to $50 and non‑resident mooring fees to $200 to better cover harbor costs; the board also voted to set the ADU building permit fee to $0 to encourage accessory units. The manager said the town will separate harbor/mooring accounting so mooring fees can more clearly cover harbor operations and equipment needs.
Other routine business included accepting delivered pricing from Hagar Enterprises for maintenance materials, appointing Mike Titus to planning board seat #7, approving an AP warrant of $335,890.84 and moving to executive session to consult with counsel under M.R.S.A. 405.6(E).
