Selectmen wrangle over beer

Some selectmen are concerned by the Kennebunk Festival Committee’s plans for a mid-July community event and a request to serve beer.

The committee wants to set up a tent in Layfette Park with three local beer vendors. Town Manager Barry Tibbetts said he had a few vendors interested in the event, but would not name them.

Selectman Bob Higgins said he is against the proposed beer tent because of the bad example it would set for the youth in town.

Selectmen Al Searles, who is also a member of the festival committee, said the event would be family-friendly. 

Tibbetts said vendors would assume liability, but had not investigated the liability of serving alcohol in the street or the insurance needed to cover it.

Police Chief Bob MacKenzie said police will be on hand for any event serving alcohol. MacKenzie also said police have an alcohol training session planned for waiters to deal with visibly intoxicated people. He said he hoped vendors who might take part in the event would have a few people at the training session.

Price reduced for property

C.N. Brown, owners of the downtown Mobil Station in Kennebunk, have dropped the asking price of the property.

Kennebunk Town Manager Barry Tibbetts told the board of selectmen May 25 the price of the gas station was lowered from $310,000 to $280,000, less than two weeks before residents vote whether to buy the property.

Tibbetts said the town will not spend more than the $310,000 originally associated with the site’s price tag and would use the $30,000 difference to pay a 25 percent match required for the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission grant to clean up the property. 

He said the federal Environmental Protection Agency estimated the $130,000 grant will cover cleanup of the site, including demolition of the building and installation of  a vent system that will be required if a new building is erected.

Peter Sheer, a representative from Ransom Environmental, a consulting firm working with the town on the cleanup, said the second phase of environmental testing was completed on the site.

Sheer said testing confirmed initial findings of slight contamination. 

Although there is some contamination, Sheer told the board the town would still receive a VRAP – voluntary response action plan – from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection confirming the site has been completely cleared of all contaminates after the work is completed.

 On June 8, Kennebunk voters will have a chance at the polls to decide whether they want to purchase the former gas station. 

Relief for imperiled homes

The Natural Resources Conservation Service has granted funding to two homeowners in Kennebunk to help fix property damage from heavy rains in March.

Shawn and Donna Teague will receive $250,000 and Robert Noble will receive $50,000 to help with restoration and protection of the Mousam River bank and homes.

“I’m pretty sure the damage, if not addressed, those homes could probably end up in the river,” said Town Manager Barry Tibbetts.

The grant will be given to the town, which will hire an engineering firm. The restoration work will be sent out for bids.

The grants are based on 75 percent from federal and state money and the rest will be come from the homeowners.

Tibbetts said both parties have agreed to pay their share of the match.

Selectmen Chairman Wayne Berry expressed concern that the homeowners would not be able to provide their share of the match immediately after receiving the grant, as discussed in the grant agreement.

Shawn Teague, who was at the meeting, said he could provide the roughly $62,000.

“We don’t really have a choice, if we don’t get help our house is really in danger,” Donna Teague said.

Local men nabbed in robbery

Biddeford police have made two arrests in connection with a May 4 robbery at CVS Pharmacy on Elm Street.

Jessie A. Lavalle, 20, of Wells, was arrested on a charge of robbery and was expected to be arraigned Tuesday. He was taken into custody May 26 in Windham with assistance from the Southern Maine Violent Crimes Task Force, according to Deputy Police Chief JoAnne Fisk. 

Lavalle’s cousin, Andrew Lavalle, 22, of Kennebunk, was arrested May 31 by Kennebunk police on charges of tampering with a witness or informant, Fisk said. 

Police responded to a call reporting the robbery around 11:20 a.m. May 4. Pharmacy employees gave a man oxycontin, but police have not provided details on how the drugs were obtained. 

Both men remained in custody at York County Jail Tuesday afternoon.

– Compiled by Suzanne Hodgson and Gillian Graham