West Paris, Greenwood talk shared services

GREENWOOD — Schools everywhere may have been called off January 7, due to a snowstorm, but some area selectmen were hard at work, looking for ways to provide better services for fewer dollars.

Selectmen from Greenwood and West Paris braved the mid-morning weather for a joint meeting of selectboards from the two towns.

During a two-hour meeting with their respective town managers, selectmen covered a wide array of topics, including roads, public administration and fire services.

“We agreed to pursue joint purchasing of bulk goods to capitalize on economies of scale,” said Greenwood selectboard chairman Loretta Mikols, via email after the meeting.  “Items discussed included heating and diesel fuels, vehicle fluids, tires, office supplies, and personal gear and equipment.”

By pooling their bids, it is believed the towns can get a better price than they can separately.

“We also agreed to work together on joint grant applications, specifically within the fire department,” said Mikols.

Selectmen also debated ways to consolidate fire services.  All area departments struggle with staffing, finding few volunteers willing to put in the training time required by state and federal authorities.  With limited manpower, Oxford County fire departments are forced to rely on mutual aid from neighboring towns. 

According to West Paris Town Manager John White, that problem is exacerbated in small towns like his.  Because many members of the West Paris fire department also belong to the Greenwood department, a call for aid may go unanswered simply because all the available help already is on scene.

“We agreed to offer our towns' Fire Departments to be used as a case study within the ‘Save Our Fire Services’ effort currently being conducted by the Oxford County Municipal Officer's Association (OCMOA),” wrote Mikols, “and further agreed to aggressively pursue reforms and beta test configurations that fit into a potential overall County structure.”

Last year, town officials from across the county met for a series of brainstorming sessions dubbed  ‘Save Our Fire Services’ by the OCMOA.  White says a final report on the idea generated at those meetings, along with a possible action plan, will be unveiled at the February 25, OCMOA meeting, to be held at the Paris fire station.  

Mikols and White agree that while the joint talks between Greenwood and West Paris are in the primordial stages, it is hoped that any agreements reached will lead to similar cost-saving measures in other area towns.

“Our efforts are not self contained,” wrote Mikols.  “That is, our goal is not only to implement joint ventures between the  two towns and possibly beyond, it is also to create models that other towns can implement or use as baselines for their own efforts.”

Because Mikols, Greenwood Town Manager Kim Sparks and West Paris selectboard Chairman Wade Rainey are all OCMOA officers — the fourth is Paris selectman Ray Glover — any cooperative models developed will be disseminated through that organization.

Those efforts could be decidedly out of the box. 

One “secondary opportunity” on the table is to share transfer stations so that residents living near town lines are able to use the waste facility closest to their homes.

“Limited transfer station sharing will be brought to the G & W [Solid Waste] Board of Directors for discussion and concurrence or rejection,” says Mikols.

While West Paris operates its own transfer station, Greenwood shares its facility with the town of Woodstock.  White said it is hoped that Woodstock selectmen will be inclined to join in future joint meetings between Greenwood and Woodstock.

“This isn’t just about consolidating services,” said White.  “One thing we are talking about is taking a look at each other’s policies and ordinances.  That way, if there is something we are interested in doing, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.”

White says that before selectmen meet again, road foremen from the two towns will meet to compare highway operations, while town managers will examine administrative functions.

“Details of the fire department opportunities will be further developed by the core ‘Save Our Fire Services’ team within the Oxford County Municipal Officers Association effort,” wrote Mikols.

That group includes Paris Fire Chief Brad Frost, County EMA Director Scott Parker, Norway Assistant Fire Chief Dennis Yates, Oxford Fire Chief Scott Hunter, Greenwood Fire Chief Jim Owens, Sparks and Mikols.  West Paris Fire Chief Norm St. Pierre has been invited to join those talks.

2004 Year-in-Review (October to December)

OCTOBER

October 7, 2004

Creeping black fungus wipes out man’s dream

OXFORD HILLS — Nearly one year after black mold forced 62-year old Gaynor Fitch out of his home and destroyed his health, the local maintenance man was still trying to recoup his financial losses.

The Advertiser-Democrat featured Gaynor’ plight, including his attempts to rehabilitate the used trailer he had obtained five years earlier, and his related history of health problems.

Inspectors with Community Concepts advised Gaynor to vacate the home, due to the insidious mold which had spread into the flooring, the insulation, the ceiling, and had rotted-out rafters.  State inspectors were unable to determine if the mold was present before Gaynor had taken possession of the mobile home.  Representatives from the Maine Manufactured Housing Board stated that there was no violation of the “implied warranty” on the home.

Plan to Change high school surprises SAD 17 directors

OXFORD — Questions and skepticism were the order of the day when a committee assigned to study “smaller learning communities” reported to the SAD 17 school board on what it termed the “advantages of switching to a team-orientated, four group approach for the high school.” 

The concept of four completely autonomous “vertical” teams in grades seven through 12, each with its own budget, administration, guidance department, schedule, and curriculum seemed to run counter to the original concept for the school when it opened in 1998, which was aimed at bringing technical and academic classes together in what was then described as a “seamless environment.”

Board members were concerned that the new plan might lead to increases in administrative costs.  The plan was also derided for its potential to “label,” or categorize, students.

Sheriff asks county to fund three more deputies

OXFORD COUNTY — As Commissioner’s gathered to finalize the new county budget, the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department met them with a request to increase their own budget by $210,639 — or, 28.38 percent.  The increase was intended to fund three additional deputy positions.  The Sheriff’s Department, which has not added a new deputy since 1990, has reportedly become besieged with requests for increased coverage, especially in the more rural areas of the county.

October 14, 2004

Sherry and one-year-old twins thriving

REGION — It was a happy story that led the newspaper this week, when we followed up on Sherry Mason, now 17, whose difficult pregnancy we had first covered in August 2003. 

While still in the womb, Sherry’s babies — Abigail and Allison — had suffered from twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a condition in which one twin gets too much blood from the placenta and the other too little.  Each twin weighed in at under two pounds when they were born three months premature via emergency Caesarian section in October 2003. 

When we reintroduced readers to the twins one year later, they were happy and healthy despite some lingering health concerns.  Sherry was just moving out of a group home she and the twins had briefly been required to stay in by the Maine Department of Human Services.  She was now hoping to finish high school.

Feds have $2 million for tech park

NORWAY — Brett Doney, CEO of the Oxford Hills Growth Council announced that the Economic Development Administration, an arm of the U. S. Department of Commerce, had approved a pre-application worth $2 million to fund a portion of the planned infrastructure for a new business park at the top of Pike’s Hill.

“We are confident that this will lead to a final award [of the grant] in 2005,” said Doney.

If received, the grant will be used to run electricity and telecommunications lines, and to build storm water and fire protection systems at the new complex.

Priest’s body found in woods

OXFORD COUNTY — A body found off South Arm Road in Andover was identified as Rumford Priest Gordon “Father Mike” Chiasson.  Chiasson had been missing since September 29.  Sheriff’s Captain James Miclon stated that Chiasson had been dead “for some time” and that no foul play was suspected.

October 21, 2004

Officials try to deal with bullies

OXFORD — When a local mother expressed her concerns to the SAD 17 school board over the possible return to school of a youth who was accused of assaulting her son, we reviewed the district’s “zero tolerance” policy on bullying.

Those efforts center on actively involving the 85-percent of the school population, referred to as “bystanders,” who are not either directly involved in, or the victims of, bullying.

We also made special note of the 15 to 20 fifth and sixth grade students at the Guy E. Rowe Elementary School in Norway who are leaders in the “bully-busters” program.

Voters remove Roberts in Greenwood

GREENWOOD — In a special town meeting attended by 93 residents, voters approved a measure to remove Selectman Ivan Roberts from office.  The vote was 70 to 23 in favor of recalling Roberts.

Roberts fought for his job, noting his contributions to a recently completed dam project and towards cleaning up local junkyards.  He also claimed that he was alone among local selectmen in attending various training sessions and workshops.  Other municipal officers countered that Roberts overspent while taking part in those classes and that Roberts was “rude” and “difficult to work with.”

State official praises local highway effort

OXFORD HILLS — David Cole, commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation, attended a local transportation summit and lavished praise on the Fix 26 Corridor Committee.  He stated that the region has become a leader when it comes to transportation issues.

The summit prioritized upcoming road issues, with the committee now focused on the following projects: reconstruction of Route 26 from the junction with Route 122 near the Poland Spring Inn traveling north to the Poland Regional High School.  Rebuilding the section of Route 26 in front of Oxford Plains Speedway.  Reworking Route 117 from Norway to Harrison.  Building a pedestrian bridge linking the former C. B. Cummings property to Main Street in Norway.  Also discussed was the concept of building a Route 26 bypass around downtown Bryant Pond.

October 28, 2004

Arsonist being sought by police

OXFORD — Police, forest rangers, and firefighters were on the lookout for an arsonist believed to have set a series of 13 small fires along a three-quarter mile wooded section of Skeetfield Road. 

The fires along the busy road were spotted soon enough — most having grown to only two or three feet in diameter — so that they were quickly extinguished.  However, authorities were concerned over the apparent manner in which the fires had set, theorizing the use of a “charcoal lighter of some kind.”

Oxford Hills jobless rate creeps up

OXFORD HILLS — We noted that local unemployment rates in the Norway-Paris Labor Market Area were inching up, from 5.3 percent in July, to 5.5 percent in August, and then to 5.8 percent in September.

This percentage was well above the 4.1 percent rate of unemployment for the state.  The national average was at 5.1 percent, but was actually moving in the opposite direction, down from 5.4 percent in the previous month.

It was also noted that there are currently approximately 700 persons without jobs in our area, while some 11,330 individuals are gainfully employed.

County Commissioners won’t hire more deputies

OXFORD COUNTY — County commissioners slashed $124,838 out of the requested budget increase from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department.  This effectively killed at least two of the three new deputy positions the department had been hoping to create. 

At work was a schism between the smaller towns of the county, which are requesting additional police coverage, and the larger towns, which are funding their own police departments in addition to contributing to the county budget for those same services.

NOVEMBER

November 4, 2004

Young child dies in trailer fire

OXFORD — After a week with multiple fires of unknown origin, the news centered on one blaze, in a Cheryl Lane mobile home, with a definite cause.  Tragically, this fire resulted in the death of a seven-year-old boy.

State Fire Marshall Sergeant Ken Grimes traced the origin of the fire to a couch in the center of the trailer, where smoking materials were later determined to be the source of ignition.

Kathy Bennett, 37, and Neil Gephart, 30, escaped through a bedroom window on one side of the trailer.  Their neighbor Raymond Reece, along with Police Officer Alan Coffin, rescued seven-year-old Shawn and 11-month old Andrea from the other end.  Sadly, Shawn was later pronounced dead at Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway, having succumbed to smoke inhalation.

Voters reject tax cap

OXFORD HILLS — The Advertiser-Democrat reported on initial poll results from the November referendum vote.  Question one, known popularly as the “Pelesky initiative,” had asked voter approval to cap property taxes at one percent of value, and to roll back those valuations to 1996 levels.

Support for the measure had initially been high in the spring, but support wavered as election day drew near.  Many local municipalities and school districts campaigned against the measure, noting that it would result in draconian cuts to town services.

All 18 towns in our coverage area weighed in against the proposal.  The measure had its greatest support in Hartford (48.2 percent), Mechanic Falls (47.7 percent), and Sumner (47.3 percent.)  The initiative lost by the widest margin in Stoneham, where “yes” only garnered 27.8 percent of the vote.  This was followed by the only other towns in our coverage area where “Pelesky” got less than 40 percent of the vote: Hebron (38.5 percent) and Waterford (39.4 percent.)

However, it is worth noting that Advertiser-Democrat readers seemed, among all voters, the least enthusiastic about abandoning Pelesky’s goal.  Within the newspaper’s circulation area, “Yes” held on for 41.6 percent of the vote.  In contrast, “Yes” only garnered 41 percent in Oxford County as a whole, 40.4 percent in Androscoggin County, and 37 percent statewide.

November 11, 2004

Little boy honors loss of friend

OXFORD — We followed up on the previous week’s devastating fire with a report on the cause from the Maine Department of Public Safety.  We also introduced readers to Kyle Rogers, the seven-year-old best friend of the child killed in the blaze.

Kyle had decided to reach out and help his friend’s family, single-handedly collecting $540 in donations in just one day.  Kyle visited area businesses, such as Oxford Homes, Burlington Homes, and Record Lumber, all of whom donated.  The first $240 Kyle collected was matched by Don and Terry Strout of Moon Dog Drywall.

One hurt in North Norway fire

NORWAY — Another fire was front-page news, this one at 598 Greenwood Road, the former location of Kavuja’s Country Store.  The store had been converted into a private residence.  According to Norway Assistant Fire Chief Jim Tibbetts, tenant Robert Paradis had been attempting to light a pilot light in a propane oven when an explosion occurred.  Paradis was transported to Stephens Memorial Hospital with “serious,” but not life-threatening, burns.

Rape Crisis center broke, closes

OXFORD HILLS — With payments coming in late from Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services, and without a cushion of donations to fall back on, the Rape Education and Crisis Hotline (REACH) was forced to close it’s doors, laying off all four employees.  Some volunteers remained for various support and advocacy services.

November 18, 2004

Dismal holiday for hundreds of kids?

OXFORD HILLS — On a related note, with the holiday season fast approaching, the Advertiser-Democrat focused on the struggles of Christmas for Kids.

Gerri Price, a coordinator for the local charity, which provides toys and winter clothing to needy families, told us that she already had more applications than last year, but that donations had dropped to such an extent that the program was “in crisis.”

One special concern, Price noted, was that former employees of local mills, once among the strongest block of donators, were reportedly now on the receiving end.

Buckfield loses thousands without a plan

BUCKFIELD — We reported on the efforts of Buckfield, like many towns in our area, to update its comprehensive plan.  Without a current plan, the town remains ineligible for many grants that it might otherwise apply for. 

While many towns in our coverage area are in the midst of a ten-year cycle of updating local growth plans, Buckfield’s plan has not been officially updated since 1985.

Business loan fund replenished

OXFORD HILLS — Western Maine Finance, the financial arm of Enterprise Maine, announced that it has received a $500,000 grant from USDA Rural Development.  These funds will be used in their Intermediary Relending Program, which will use the funds to make loans to area businesses — both new startups and those hoping to expand.

November 25, 2004

Paris selectmen accused of ‘law violations’

SOUTH PARIS — Selectman Barbara Payne stopped the board dead in its tracks when she publicly reprimanded them for conducting what she felt to be unlawful executive sessions.

Although this appeared to cause some acrimony at the time, Payne’s warning has since resulted in a plan to hold a workshop so that municipal officers, and others, from the area could study Maine laws concerning public access of information.

Sheriff may get three more deputies

OXFORD HILLS — The Oxford County Budget Committee put a funding request from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department solidly back on the books, overruling the county commissioners who had earlier cut the requested budget increase to fund three new deputy positions.

While it was agreed that nine more deputies would be needed to “adequately” staff the department, debate continued to swirl around how to best levy taxes for that coverage.  The smaller towns continued to support funding for new deputies while the larger towns with their own police departments were, generally, against the proposal.

Federico new Norway Chief

NORWAY — While the county was haggling over deputies, we noted the hiring of a new Police Chief in Norway. 

Local officer Sergeant Rob Federico was already a grandfather when he made a career move into law enforcement in 1995.  In a meteoric rise from part-time patrol officer to Police Chief, Federico was praised for “extremely good communication skills and an open attitude with the public.”

Federico replaced Chief Tim Richards, who had been terminated in April after charges that he had violated a restraining order filed be a former girlfriend who had also been, at one time, his subordinate in the Norway department.

DECEMBER

December 2, 2004

Raging vandal violates dead child’s ashes

WEST PARIS — In what was perhaps the saddest, and most disturbing, story of 2004, the Advertiser-Democrat reported on the tragic loss of Tina Loring. 

Burglars had battered down the rear door of Loring’s Tuelltown Road mobile home while she was away and had gone on a rampage, punching as many 61 holes in the walls. 

But the most sickening aspect of the wanton destruction was the violation of an urn containing the ashes of Loring’s 12-year old daughter, Cassie Bennett, who had died of a brain tumor eight years ago.  The urn was smashed and Cassie’s remains were scattered all about the home.

Although law enforcement sources have since identified, but not named, a “person of interest,” not enough evidence has yet been collected in order for an arrest to be made.

Should towns charge for fire calls?

GREENWOOD — Like many area small town all-volunteer fire department’s, Greenwood has been struggling to keep up with costs, training, and regulations.  We reported on the issue when we focused on local discussions of whether the town’s fire department should begin charging a fee for responding to certain types of calls.  No decision was reached, but the debate continues to be of interest throughout the Oxford Hills.

December 9, 2004

Deer sting nails two for poaching

OXFORD — We reported on three game wardens and an Oxford Police Officer who spent Thanksgiving Day manning a “robo-deer.”  The lifelike mechanical animal, positioned in a pasture just off of East Oxford Road, was designed to draw the attention of would-be poachers.  The stakeout location was chosen for being nearby to Jackson’s Deer Farm, where domesticated red deer and elk had been shot with a bow and arrow the previous winter.

Two local men were cited as a result of the sting.  A 45-year old Oxford man actually took a shot, while a 19-year old Hebron man, apprehended before he fired, was summonsed for carrying a loaded weapon in a motor vehicle.  Both men also received additional tickets for “hunting” without wearing the requisite safety orange.

Williams quits at chamber

OXFORD HILLS — After ten years as head of the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce, John Williams stepped down in order to focus on his broadcasting business.  Williams’ resignation is effective December 31.

December 16, 2004

Selectman provides fire victims with presents

NORWAY — Amanda Tapley had planned to take her two young daughters, Kaitlyn and Madison, and move out of state after Christmas.  One might have expected that decision to have been hastened when a fire ravaged their Cottage Street apartment in October, robbing them of all their possessions.

But, when a outpouring of local support flooded in — including a substantial financial gift from Norway Selectman Bill Damon and his wife Beatrice designed to make sure Amanda’s young girls had a merry Christmas — Amanda found herself with a brand new outlook on the Oxford Hills communities.

“I can’t think of any other place I would want my kids to grow up,” she said.

Officials mum on ‘big box store’

OXFORD — After noticing several surveyor stakes in the field where the Oxford Drive-In had once been located, the Advertiser-Democrat sent a reporter to investigate.  What we turned up was evidence that something is happening, even though all parties involved have reportedly been sworn to secrecy. 

Brett Doney, executive director of Enterprise Maine, confirmed that a national development company has put options on properties in the area.  Although he declined to name the company, he stated that “it does include a big box retail.”

However, Doney noted that actual construction on the site “could take place right away, or [be] put on hold for any number of years.”

Paris picks Sharon Jackson as manager

SOUTH PARIS — After two separate terms as interim town manager for Oxford, in which she was passed over both times for the top spot, Sharon Jackson was hired as the new town manager for Paris. 

Jackson replaces Steve McAllister, who surprised the board of selectmen with his sudden resignation to start a private business in Waterford

December 23, 2004

Calls reduce anguish for local military families

IRAQ/ GREATER OXFORD HILLS — Following the terrorist attack on a military dining hall in Monsul, Iraq, which killed two guardsmen from Maine and injured 10 others, we anxiously joined our surrounding communities as, one by one, our beloved soldiers in the 133d Engineer Battalion called home to check in with family members.

Should small towns pay for sheriff’s deputies?

OXFORD COUNTY — The debate over the funding of additional deputies at the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department reached a new crescendo when Bethel Town Manager Scott Cole began circulating a plan for proposed legislation that would reconfigure the funding formula, relieving larger town’s that operate their own police departments from some of the burden of supporting the Sheriff's department.

Join the crowd — urge L. L. Bean to stay here

OXFORD HILL — And finally, we advised our readers of a grassroots attempt, currently gaining momentum, whose goal is to convince the Maine-based outdoor apparel and equipment company to open up a permanent call center in the Oxford Hill area.

L. L. Bean had recently operated a seasonal call center in Oxford, while simultaneously abandoning plans to open a permanent operation in Oakland.  That satellite office was scuttled when a national cell phone company announced designs on a cell center in the same business park.  L. L. Bean pulled out, citing concerns over an adequate labor pool in that area.

We noted the large, talented pool of workers right here in the Oxford Hills.  We also pointed out how L. L. Bean’s founder and namesake, Leon Leonwood Bean, grew up in Greenwood.  And we brought our readers attention to a giant photo opportunity in which the community was being asked to turn out in L. L. bean clothing for an outdoor photo that will be turned into a promotional poster for the campaign.

General Assistance varies from town to town

OXFORD HILLS - Not every aspect of municipal government is terribly exciting.  Not all town business brings a thrill to the heart and a surge to the pulse.  Much of the work is actually quite mundane.  One such administrative necessity currently making the rounds — what one local town manager referred to as "grunt work" — involves accepting state appendix schedules of allowable maximum pay outs in General Assistance.

While that, in itself, may not seem terribly exciting, the Advertiser-Democrat decided to take this opportunity, while the issue was still fresh in the minds of local town fathers, to investigate how general assistance — when towns help residents meet emergency needs for basic living expenses — varies from town to town.

What we found was a divergence of opinion and philosophy regarding general assistance that is as varied as the 18 municipalities in our coverage area.

General assistance (GA) has its origins in the Elizabethan Poor Laws of England and, as such, has been an obligation for every town in Maine since the state's entry into the Union in 1820.  These laws required that each municipality provide for the indigent within their borders. 

In some local towns where a board of selectmen/town meeting form of government persists, such as a Sumner, the official title for selectmen still includes the archaic addendum, "overseers of the poor."  Other towns, such as Buckfield, continue to hold property to this day that was once used for "poor farms," where those without other means of support could eek out their subsistence.

In the early part of the 20th century, the burden of caring for the poor began to shift from local to state and federal organizations.  By the 1930s, local "overseers" were no longer automatically responsible for the blind, the aged, for veterans and their families, or, in some instances, the able-bodied unemployed.  Other programs such as Social Security, Workers' Compensation, Unemployment Compensation, Veterans' Administration, and some of the Depression era work-related programs were developed to supplement or replace local general assistance.

Today, general Assistance is mainly used to meet emergency needs, such as when a family runs out of oil, is threatened with disconnection of a utility, or faces eviction, and has no immediate means to pay their bills.

When this happens, the GA administrator will go through a worksheet of income and expenses to determine what level of support the town can offer.  In many instances, the first request for aid is treated less stringently then subsequent requests.  After that, more proof of expenses are required, and certain demands can be made.  For example, the town can require that an applicant sell off certain assets, or that they cannot own a vehicle valued at over $8,000.   

Access to a GA administrator must be made available 24 hours a day, and an answer to a request for aid must be given by that administrator within 24 hours of the application.

In municipalities with a town manager form of government, that manager is usually the GA administrator.

Exceptions include Paris, where Sheila Giroux, administrative assistant for the police department also handles general assistance applications.  In Oxford, town clerk Ellen Morrison handles those duties.

In many of the smaller towns, the responsibility often falls to one of the selectmen.  However, in Minot, where Gregory E. Gill was hired as the town's first professional administrator within the last year, Selectman Eda Tripp still handles the general assistance claims.

Each town appropriates a certain sum of money at town meeting each year for general assistance requests.  That sum ranges from as little as $500 in Hartford, Stoneham, and Sumner, to as much as $40,000 in Norway.

Only three towns in our area include in that appropriation the fees required for administering the program.  Waterford pays John Anderson "around $350" per year, and that is reported to be mostly for travel expenses.  Anderson also administers general assistance for Bridgeton.  Mechanic Falls Town Manager Dana Lee stated that his town generally spends "around $400" on administrative costs.

In Norway, $7,500 is paid to Community Concepts for handling their general assistance program.  It is worth noting that this fee alone is more than, and in some cases double, the entire annual amount raised by some towns to assist the needy.  (See sidebar: annual appropriations for General Assistance, by town.)

All applications for aid are kept strictly confidential and are not subject to review.  However, some information must be released to the state, which annually audits each town's records, reimbursing the town for as much as 50 percent of its expenditures.

And while towns are required to help their residents meet emergency needs, assuming certain eligibility criteria are met, the laws have been updated in more recent years to place greater responsibility, and accountability, on the applicant.

It is in how these eligibility rules are interpreted where we found our first conflict

"It's very rigid, and wide open, all at the same time," said Buckfield Town Manager Glen Holmes.  "You have to do it.  There are certain things that you have to do, and yet the way each town interprets these regulations is wide open."

While many GA administrators were careful to say that they merely follow the law, paying close attention to eligibility requirements, others, especially from the smaller towns, tended to view their primary obligation as being to the taxpayer.

"There are circumstance were someone in just down on their luck," said West Paris Town Manager Don Woodbury.  "[But some] are not doing all they can to help themselves.  It bothers me to feed behavior."

"We follow the law very strictly," said Lee.  "We do what we need to where eligibility requirements are met, but we certainly aren't just giving it [financial assistance] away."

"I think it's safe to say that we have to remember who pays the bills," said Hartford Selectman Lee Holman.  "We're all taxpayers."

However, both Lee and Holman pointed out that, in many cases, it is not a handout that is required.  Both cited situations in which they have acted as a mediator between a local resident and a utility, or oil company.  And both felt that their greatest contribution — one that cost the town no money — came in acting as an advocate for the local person in need, pointing them to various programs that they had not known to exist.

On the other side of the scale, there are those GA administrators who believe that eligibility requirements should be more liberally interpreted.

"I tend to do a lot of it [review cases] with my heart, and not the head," said Woodstock Town Manager Vern Maxfield. 

"There are times when it is better to deal with a problem up front, rather than deal with a bigger problem later," said Poland Town Manager Richard Chick.  "[It] makes sense to stretch [eligibility] and get creative in dealing with a problem."

Chick pointed out that it can cost taxpayers more to wait until electricity actually gets shut off, when there can be a huge arrears in charges plus the addition of reconnection fees.

In general, we found that how a town interprets eligibility tended to correspond to the amounts annually appropriated.  Those towns which set aside only a few thousand dollars were, on the whole, more reluctant to part with any of it.  Those appropriating more than three or four thousand tended to be more liberal.  Larger towns, those expending more than $10,000 were reluctant to betray any hint of their inclinations. 

Towns that annually raise less than $1,000 for general assistance also acknowledged being more liberal with payouts.  This was partly, they said, because they get so few requests, and most of those tended to be first, or one-time requests.

The smaller towns, on average, tended to not have what the larger towns liked to refer to as "repeat customers," or, "frequent fliers."

Another trend noticed was that need did not necessarily follow population.  Norway Town Manager David Holt theorized that the real indicator was the number of rental units in a community.  This observation was backed up by nearly every single GA administrator we spoke to.

Smaller towns, and certain medium sized ones, tended to have fewer requests, not because they had fewer people, but because they have a smaller percentage of homeowners.

Over and over, a figure of "more than 80 percent" was cited by GA administrators in regards to the number of applicants who either rented apartments, or lots in trailer parks.

Several administrators also pointed out that a town still cannot refuse requests once it uses up everything that is has appropriated for general assistance. 

“It’s one of the very few accounts that you are allowed to overdraw if necessary," said Holmes.

Here again, however, the need to overdraw — to dip into a town's general fund — tended to align with the number of rental units in a town.

Hartford, a town with very few rental units, reported only using $40 of the funds it has set aside last year for general assistance. 

Lovell Town Clerk Sherry Bais reported that her town has carried over it's $1,000 for several years, with only one applicant in the last couple of years.  And that person reportedly paid back some of the assistance they received.

Although recipients of town aid are, technically, obligated to pay back the money paid to a creditor in their name, most towns report that few ever do.

When a town does get reimbursed, it tends to come in the form of a lien on a lump sum social security settlement.  Several administrators noted that it can take several months for the federal and state governments to catch up to the newly disabled.  This forces that person to rely on town assistance until regular checks begin to arrive.

"It [social security] is a system that needs to be completely revamped," said Lee.

Town's can require that recipients of aid perform what is called workfair, requiring the applicant to perform some service for the town, such as working at a transfer station, filing in the town office, or shoveling snow. 

However, few towns in the area actually do require applicants to work in return for aid.  Although many administrators thought it was a good idea, many, especially in the smaller towns, said they simply had no work available for able-bodied applicants to perform.

But perhaps the sharpest, and clearest divide among towns was in where they thought responsibility for general assistance most properly resided.

In many cases, the smaller towns preferred to keep aid on the local level.  Many felt that applicants were more likely to try and get off of aid when they knew it was coming from their friends and neighbors.  Others simply felt that giving such aid on the local lever helped to preserve the human touch, so that the needy did not become, "just a number."

"I know locally, you tend to know people and have more concern for their situations." said Greenwood Town manager Kim Sparks.

"It's building community," said Holman.  "The state is the state.  The more things that can be handled at home, the better."

"You have to meet with the person.  You have to relate to that person.  You have to take on a advocacy for that person who is having a crisis in their lives." said Marianne Iggy-Morin, an administrative assistant in Otisfield, indicating that this level of personal intervention would soon be forgotten if general assistance was handled solely by the state.

Others simply did not think that the state would do a very good job.

"A lot of times, when I call headquarters [in Augusta], their attitude had been, in my opinion, just horrible.  Really out of line," said Giroux, the GA administrator for Oxford.

She cited one occasion, when she called Augusta for advice on a person who was being asked to leave his residence, being told that "the police can pick him up, then he'll have a place to stay."

"Looking at everything the state does, it's always five times more costly than when we do things locally," said Lee.

However, many of the medium and large sized towns voiced a strong opinion that aid programs would be more efficient if handled on a statewide level.  Some believed that regionalizing general assistance among several towns, or on the county level, would lead to requirements being more uniformly applied, with fewer variances in interpretations.

"There would be a more consistent application of the rules of handled on a wider geographic area," said Woodbury.

"I would love to see it regionalized," said Chick.  "In the course of processing general assistance, I have to go to the state anyway.  If they were held to the same standard [to respond in 24 hours to requests for aid,] if they had to be as nimble as they require us to be [it would work.]"

"I'd love to see it handled by the county, or at least in an area of four or five towns together" said Maxfield.  "If somebody was doing it full time, they would be right up to date on all the rules and regulations."

"I think any time you can consolidate, that would be beneficial," said Girioux, although she questioned how towns would get reimbursed by the state under a regionalized plan.

"It's not efficient to do it little town by little town by little town," said Lee. "However, that being said, the cost of general assistance [if regionalized] would skyrocket."

And finally, it was noted that general assistance applicants  tend to be younger people, even though under the GA ordinances, parents are required to be financially responsible for their children up to the age of 24.  The older generation, it was thought, simply shied away from asking for help.  That was an attitude that also seemed to predominate as potential applicants got out of the urban areas.

"This is not Boston," said Stoneham Town Clerk Midge Sylvio, "People don't run around with their hand out looking for money.

"I have learned to have a major respect for rural people and how they live their lives, and what they expect from government."

SIDEBAR 

Annual appropriations for General Assistance, by town

TOWN                   2004 GA       2000           Median       Unemployment        2003     

                         appropriation   population*    income*             rate*               mil rate**

Norway                   $40,000        4,611          $28,497            5.5%                $19.00

Oxford                      14,000        3,960            36,670             4.1                    19.40

Paris                          10,000        4,793            33,625             4.2                    22.73

Poland                       10,000        4,866            47,824             4.6                   18.75

Harrison                      8,000        2,315            35,478             3.4                   13.35

Mechanic Falls            7,400        3,138            34,864             5.2                   28.00

West Paris                   5,000        1,722            30,000             5.5                   15.70

Hebron                        3,500       1,053             45,417             3.0                   17.55

Waterford                    3,000       1,443             31,458             3.7                  14.25

Woodstock                  3,000       1,307             35,642             7.7                  15.30

Otisfield                       2,500      1,560             43,304             6.2                   17.7

Buckfield                     2,000      1,723              36,821             2.6                  20.10

Minot                          1,000       2,248              47,557             3.7                  16.50

Lovell                         1,000          994              33,365             5.8                  12.85

Greenwood                   750          819              38,750             4.0                  16.75

Hartford                        500          963              36,488             4.9                  17.20

Stoneham                     500          271               38,611             8.0                  11.30

Sumner                        500          851                39,196            5.4                  13.45

*Figures from US Census Bureau, based on 2000 census

** Figures from Maine State Planning Office