The City of Caribou appreciates your feedback and questions.
Most department pages have e-mail addresses and phone numbers.
E-mail the city council: Click here to send an email to all the Councilors at once.
You can also e-mail the Office Coordinator: jkleeman@cariboumaine.org
Here are some recent questions and feedback:
Question: Why do the trees look so bad following the tree trimming by Versant this year?
Answer: The City Manager did speak to someone at Versant Power about this. Versant is required to maintain a specified clearance around power lines with the #1 priority being safety. There is a 5–6-year cycle for tree trimming and the previous cycles were ‘too light’ so it is a shock to residents. Additional information from Versant is available here:
https://www.cariboumaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Versant-2022-Info.pdf
This comment was received at the June 30th Thursdays on Sweden Street event:
Question: (The card prompt said, “The children in our community need the city to”)(The children need to) Put down their cell phones! Go play outside! Use their imaginations!
Answer: The City of Caribou is sponsoring the annual “Caribou Cares About Kids” 4-day extravaganza August 11 to 14 at the Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center. We hope this sparks joy in our kids as they enjoy the activities that are planned.
Update 8/5/2022– Maine DOT fixed the streetlights at the intersection of Route 161 and the Caribou Connector.
Question: When will the six street lights at the intersection of the Caribou Connector and Sweden Street / Rt 161 be fixed?
Update 7/28/2022 – The City Manager drives by this intersection on a regular basis and finds that it is still dark so she has reached out again to Maine DOT and they have not yet provided an update.
Answer: This was brought up by a City Councilor at the most recent City Council meeting. Staff has researched the issue and these lights are the responsibility of the Maine DOT. Staff has alerted the Maine DOT Northern Region (Region 5) office in Presque Isle that all lights are out. The office said that they would send someone out there to confirm that the lights are indeed out.
Update 8/8/2022– The tax bills will be mailed out this week.
Question: When are tax bills coming out?
Update 7/28/2022– The City Manager reports that the valuation numbers have been completed. There will be a special city council meeting Monday August 1 @ 6:00 pm to set the annual tax rate. If the tax rate is set at the meeting, the bills should go out around August 10
Answer: (Update from earlier question) The Assessor’s office has encountered several hurdles to completing the valuation this year. We are still waiting for the State of Maine for two items: a determination on two property tax deferral applications and to update a setting in our software (Trio) that will accurately calculate the Homestead reimbursement. And in the meantime, the server for our Trio software is failing causing further delays. We hope to have valuation numbers for the City Council at the July 25, 2022 City Council meeting so that a tax rate can be set, taxes committed to the tax collector and tax bills mailed by early August.
These questions/comments were received at the June 16 Thursdays on Sweden Street event:
Question: (The card prompt said, “I own a business, I wish the city could help by …)
Having grants for advertising the business; meet & greet for new business and old so community can get to know what is available; more communication outlets for what’s happening in the community like meetings that could affect businesses; maybe a luncheon once a month on how to help businesses connect/network together.
Answer: These are great ideas! The chamber of commerce does “Business After Hours” events which is a great way to meet other business owners. The Caribou City Council has established business retention, expansion and promotion as a priority and we will be working on rolling out some initiatives in the future,
Question: (The card prompt said, “The children in our community need the city to …)
Need to put a resource officer back in the schools
Answer: The RSU#39 School is a separate entity from the City of Caribou. The school has opted to fund mental health services (by adding social workers) and building administration to help students with any barriers to a safe learning environment. The City of Caribou can not force the RSU to employ a school resource officer. However, if they determine that one is needed, the City of Caribou would make every effort to accommodate their request.
Question: (The card prompt said, “One idea to improve our community is …)
More active participation in current events.
Answer: While I am not certain what is meant by this statement, the City of Caribou elected and appointed officials are committed to participating in events in the area.
Question: (The card prompt said, “One idea to improve our community is …)
Beautify the town with more flowers; have more fun drug-free safe places for youth to help combat drug abuse; help with homeless and drug abusers that loiter and roam the streets
Answer: The City of Caribou does budget for trees and flowers in the City. Of course, our parks staff work to maintain all city properties within the resources given. The Wellness Center and Teague Park are great places for the youth to gather in a safe environment. I wish there was more that I could offer with regards to the concerns over the homeless and others who roam our streets. Some of these big city issues are coming now to Northern Maine. I will pass your comments to the Caribou Police Department.
Question: What is the City doing about the trash problem at properties? Rats are not cool.
Answer: The comment has been passed to the Code Enforcement Department. Rubbish and animal harborage (including rats) is a violation of the adopted International Property Maintenance Code which requires that the “Exterior property and premises shall be maintained in a clean, safe and sanitary condition” (Section 302.1) Section 302.5 specifically states that “structures and exterior property shall be kept free from rodent harborage and infestation” and Section 308.1 states that “exterior property and premises, and the interior of every structure, shall be free from any accumulation of rubbish or garbage.”
Question: When is the City going to put water back in the Mill Pond?
Answer: This is a project that has been prioritized and finally there is an update on how this can happen. The 501c3 Recreation Foundation applied for a Congressionally Directed Spending Request. The City was notified last week that Senator Susan Collins has included the project in her list of CDS requests. Right now, it is in the 2-week public disclosure period and from there it will go to the proper appropriations committee. If the committee includes this in the 2023 budget, the Rec Foundation and the City can move forward with plans to restore this important Caribou landmark. Stay tuned!