Town Forest proposal draws heated debate at hearing

Tom Potter, who owns property near the proposed town forest, talks of the vandalism now going on at the property where there is no oversight. (Rochester Voice photos)

LEBANON - While few townspeople argued against the need for a new $244,000 ambulance, which is the biggest nonoperational single-ticket item to be voted on at Town Meeting next month, the lion's share of vitriol during Wednesday's mostly civil hearing on the referenda came during discussion of a $16,000 road study and the establishment of a town forest that would cost taxpayers nothing.

The town forest would comprise about 275 acres of town-owned land located off the Hebo Hybo Road which is off Baker's Grant Road.

Jordan Pike explains the Food Sovereignty Ordinance, which allows face to face purchase at the point of production of many food products without state interference. It means Pike could, for instance, sell frozen squash at his Two Toads Farm on Upper Cross Road, which previously would've required two state permits.

According to the referendum, the land would be managed by the conservation commission and set aside for "sustainable forest management, recreational use and wildlife habitat."

But two Lebanon residents who own property on the Hebo Hybo Road said the area in question is a major disaster, with ATVers and 4-wheelers tearing up the property and kids burning stolen cars on the premises. They said it was also the site of a fatal motorcycle accident.

Tom Potter, who owns Potter's Place Campground and owns land abutting Hebo Hybo Road said there's no one that properly oversees the property now, and added that making it a "Town Forest" would only open the floodgates to more abuse with no additional enforcement.

"The State Police can't patrol that land, the Sheriff's Department can't, the Forestry people can't ... how is the Conservation Commission going to?" Potter asked.

Ernie Lizotte, another nearby resident, said the town can't even maintain a gate onto the property, adding it's been destroyed by vandals.

Potter said ATVers also illegally go through his fields and have destroyed his hay crop.

Potter added that he and Lizotte have brought truckloads of appliances, TVs and shingles to the transfer station after having collected then from illegal dumping sites within the proposed Town Forest property.

He said people dump trash there to avoid paying dump fees and added that Road Commissioner Tom Torno and his crews have been up there many times to collect refuse at town expense.

Members of the conservation commission urged them both to bring their input to a future meeting, one of which is tonight at the Martha Sawyer Community Library.

Resident Terri Poirier and several others reasoned that declaring it a Town Forest could be the first step to curtailing all the illegal dumping and other activities, but Lizotte and Potter said the cart was coming before the horse.

"You don't have any plan to properly oversee this," Potter said. "You need something in place. It's not ready."

Meanwhile, a $16,000 referendum to hire a Portland engineering firm to analyze the degree of disrepair of town roads also met with some derision.

Selectmen Chair Chip Harlow explained that the $16,000 would be well spent, as it would use software to analyze every road in town and aid Torno with prioritizing roads for paving.

Harlow also said the software could analyze road fissures, and help direct the road commissioner to a strategy to maintain the road most economically and efficiently.

David White, a selectman candidate last year and in the June election, said the town didn't need a $16,000 study to tell it what roads are in bad shape.

"I can tell you what roads need help right now," he said, listing off a handful of roads in town widely known to be in rough condition.

"Let Tommy (Torno) do his job, he's the road commissioner. He knows the roads better than anybody," Lizotte added, prompting budget committee member Deborah Wilson to point out that Torno had given his blessing to the engineering study.

Meanwhile, Lebanon Fire and EMS Chief Steven Merrill spoke at length about the need for a new ambulance. He said as it is now, the aging ambulance they want to retire is leaking exhaust fumes into the passenger and patient compartment and added the air bags are not even functional.

A few in the audience asked why they couldn't fix the old one, but Merrill reasoned, "At some point you have to stop the bleeding."

The ambulance would be paid for by a Capital Improvement Plans fund that includes about $75,000 with the rest coming from the town's undesignated restricted fund, which comprises budget balances from past years that are unspent.

Harlow said that balance is currently around $2 million.