The Hallowell City Council will review amendments to the city’s noise ordinance during its meeting at City Hall Monday.
The council will also review dangerous properties, the personnel policy manual and the purchase of a new piece of sand spreading equipment.
The meeting starts at 6 p.m.
The proposed changes to the noise ordinance increase the permissible decibel level in industrial districts from 65 to 75 decibels; in business districts from 60 to 75 decibels and in all other districts from 55 to 70 decibels. Those noise levels would be allowed from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Decibel levels from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. would be 55 in industrial districts, 55 in business districts and 50 in all other districts.
Another change would allow the noise level at city-sanctioned outdoor music performances to be no more than 80 decibels. There is also a change that would allow live outdoor music at bars and restaurants on the weekend of Old Hallowell Day in July until 1 a.m. at no more than 80 decibels.
In other business, the Council will review a Maine Department of Transportation contract for the upcoming Water Street reconstruction project. According to the contract, the city of Hallowell will pay the Maine DOT $521,812.70 for its portion of the total cost of the department’s work to reconstruct a 2,000-foot stretch of the busy corridor. The funds were allocated as part of a $2.36 million bond package approved by Hallowell voters in April 2017.
The council will also review an easement document written by the Kennebec Land Trust that would provide access to the 164-acre Howard Hill Historical Park, which is owned by the city of Augusta. The park was part of the Stevens School complex and Stevens Commons developer Matt Morrill’s pledged access to the park when he purchased the 54-acre campus from the state in April 2016.
The city will hear about four properties Code Enforcement Officer Doug Ide has inspected and determined to be either dangerous buildings or could be considered as such pending a hearing. Ide recommends demolishing a structure at 20 Greenville Street within 90 days.
Also, the council will:
• review City Manager Nate Rudy’s purchase of a sand spreader to replace a broken one on a public works plow truck. The purchase price was $6,000, and the funds came from capital improvement funds.
• vote to approve the appointment of Fire Chief Jim Owens as Deputy Director of Municipal Emergency Management.
• vote to allocate $5,700 to cover the costs of the Margaret Chase Smith Summer Internship Program.
The council’s next meeting is at 6 p.m., Monday, March 12.
Jason Pafundi — 621-5663
Twitter: @jasonpafundiKJ
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