Inauguration ceremonies have been scheduled for Wednesday’s Gardiner City Council meeting.
Thom Harnett, who was elected to his third term as mayor, will be sworn in.
Three city councilors, all serving at-large, will also be sworn in. Jonathan Ault was re-elected to a second term, and voters chose Timothy Cusick and Maryann White for the other two at-large seats.
The two outgoing at-large councilors, Maureen Blanchard and Scott Williams, will be recognized for their service.
When the council meeting starts, elected officials will consider setting library fees for the five partner communities it serves — Farmingdale, Litchfield, Pittston, Randolph and West Gardiner. The Gardiner Public Library board of trustees recommends a 1 percent increase for partner towns and a two-year phase-in for Farmingdale, which has been charged an introductory fee. At the same time, the board of trustees is also recommending lifting the ban on the sale of non-resident family library cards to residents in neighboring towns and offering them at a cost of $54, allowing them access to all library services.
In addition to lifting the ban, City Manager Scott Morelli is requesting that elected officials consider setting the price higher to reflect the value of the services and to recognize that the services are available because they are subsidized by both Gardiner taxpayers and the partner communities.
“I don’t have anything specific in mind,” Morelli said, but he hopes the council will recognize the investments that have been made in the library by Gardiner taxpayers and the partner communities. While he doesn’t want to make having a library card impossible, he said, he does think the cost ought to reflect the value the card represents.
The council will also:
• have a discussion about broadband Internet service with the Technology Committee;
• consider waiving the publication requirement for the marijuana moratorium;
• consider creating a recreational marijuana task force;
• consider the annual delegation of authority for certain administrative tasks to city staff;
• set the 2017 City Council meeting dates.
The Gardiner City Council meets at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Gardiner City Council chambers at City Hall, 6 Church St.
Jessica Lowell — 621-5632
Twitter: @JLowellKJ
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