WINSLOW – The town’s park may be outgrowing the annual Fourth of July celebration, when more than 70,000 flood the small town for a parade, street dance and fireworks show.
Town Manager Mike Heavener told the Town Council Monday night that while the three-day town holiday celebration went well, overflow onto the U.S. Route 201 bridge during Monday’ night’s fireworks posed a problem.
Fort Halifax Park overflowed with people, pushing crows to the bridge, which had to be shut down, blocking access for emergency vehicles.
“The town’s a victim of its own success,” said Chairman Gerald St. Amand. “I think the (Family 4th of July) committee and the town need to step back, take a deep breath and think about doing things in a different way.”
Police Chief Shawn O’Leary, who was at the meeting, said if the town wants to keep the bridge open during the event, he will have to increase the police staff at the event.
“This would be a complete change to the environment,” O’Leary said, because people are used to watching the display from the bridge.
The park is smaller because of the newly built parking lot, which police and fire officials used to park vehicles.
Police fatigue was also a concern from the weekend. One officer got three hours of rest over a two-day period, Heavener said.
A potential solution would be to add to more law enforcement agencies, he said.
This year’s event added law enforcement, and the added costs and needed extra staff almost meant this year’s event didn’t happen in Winslow.
Councilors also voted on the first reading of an ordinance to require businesses to install sand and grease traps, which cost between $500 and $1,000.
After conducting a survey on businesses to see which had traps and of those that didn’t, whether they needed traps at all, Code Enforcement Officer Dabney Lewis found that four businesses would need to buy one.
A grease trap would grab grease before it went into the sewer line, where the grease could cause clogs and damage the sewer system.
Councilor Ken Fletcher asked that the council verify that the businesses aren’t collecting and disposing of the grease and sand in a different way. He also asked how households and businesses differ, as households also send grease into the sewer system.
About one day’s worth of grease from a pizza parlor that washes utensils every day is equal to the grease disposal of 20 to 30 households, Lewis estimated.
Fletcher asked that the council go back to the four businesses and find out what they’re doing before imposing a rule with a $500 to $1,000 requirement.
“Other businesses in town already have these,” said Councilor Steve Russell. “We would be treating them differently from the others.”
Councilors voted 4-2 against to the ordinance. Councilors Ben Twitchell, Patricia West, Jerry Quirion and Fletcher voted against the motion.
The Town Council also voted to send the town’s solid waste to Crossroads Landfill in Norridgewock through a five-year agreement with Waste Management, a move the solid waste committee had recommended. The motion to sign the contract passed 5-1, with Russell voting in opposition.
“Philosophically, I don’t like putting solid waste in the ground,” he said after the meeting. He would have preferred looking into alternative ways to handle the town’s waste, like Fiberight or a company that incinerates trash, as long as it didn’t put more waste in the ground.
The council also vote unanimously to approve the town enter into an agreement with the Maine Department of Transportation for a $500,000 project, of which the Maine Department of Transportation would pay half.
The council also voted to appoint Aaron Rowden, a Fairfield councilor, to the Maine Municipal Association Legislative Policy Committee.
Madeline St. Amour – 861-9239
mstamour@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @madelinestamour
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