This section of the plan will inventory existing public facilities and services. The rapid growth of Lincolnville during the past 20 years has stretched some services to the limit. As Lincolnville moves toward the next century, future growth will create demands for more municipal facilities and services. This section of the plan will assess the adequacy of existing facilities and suggest options for the future.

WATER AND WASTE

Water Supply: The Town of Lincolnville has no public water supply. Residents depend on private wells for their drinking water. The depth of dug wells ranges from 10 to 50 ft., while drilled wells can run as deep as 400 ft. Most wells yield within a range of 2-15 gallons per minute. Some residents pump water from the lakes for non-potable uses, getting their drinking water from the well located at the Center Fire Station.

A number of wells in Lincolnville Center have been contaminated, mostly by gasoline from leaking underground storage tanks. Lincolnville Beach has had trouble with salt water intrusion into wells. In both these locations, high densities of population, coupled with ground water problems, indicate some consideration should be given to the possibility of locating community wells in these areas in the future. Approximately five years ago, the Camden -Rockland Water Co. was considering using Megunticook Lake as a secondary water supply.

Sewage and Septage: Lincolnville has no public sewer system. Low densities of population and lack of an appropriate water body to discharge sewerage effluent at the Center mean that Lincolnville Center will probably not have any type of public sewer system in the foreseeable future.

At Lincolnville Beach, five land owners have built a private sewer system which went into operation in July of 1991, to serve their properties as well as the State Ferry Terminal and the beach.

The Town has not established a site within Lincolnville for disposal of septic tank waste. At the present time, Lincolnville contracts with David Moore of Swanville for the out-of-town disposal of this septage.

The soil map shows that much of Lincolnville’s soils are considered poor for septic systems. The Town and its residents will always have to be vigilant about assuring that septic systems do not become health problems. There are some areas of Town where soil conditions and small lot sizes make it impossible to have-properly functioning septic systems. These problem areas should be located and solutions determined. The State has a Small Communities Grant Program to help with this type of problem.

SOLID WASTE FACILITIES:

Lincolnville belongs to the Camden-Rockport-Lincolnville-Hope Transfer Station and Recycling Center. A building was recently constructed to house an office and recycling area with bins for plastic, cardboard, newspaper, steel, aluminum and glass. There are areas outside for white goods, scrap metal, tires, and construction debris. Waste oil is collected and utilized for heat generation at several municipal buildings. A chipper was purchased with the help of a State grant to turn scrap wood into mulch, which residents may obtain free of charge. There is no composting site, although a significant reduction in waste could be accomplished if vegetative matter, yard waste and similar material were composted, producing a valuable soil enhancer. All solid waste not recycled is transferred in portable transfer containers to PERC in Orrington.

The CRLH executive committee is negotiating an agreement with the Dept. of Environmental Protection to use the Jacob’s Quarry area for disposal of demolition debris. Leachate from existing debris in the quarry now flows into Lily Pond. Any leachate would probably need to be collected and treated either on site, or by extension of the sewerline for treatment at the Camden sewer plant. Grants are available for projects of this type.

It is important that Lincolnville continue to participate actively in the four-town transfer station. The disposal of solid waste will continue to be one of the fastest growing expenses of Town government.

STORM MANAGEMENT FACILITIES:

Stormwater runoff in Lincolnville is handled by a pattern of drainage ditches, culverts, and the natural ability of the land to absorb moisture. As more land is developed it becomes increasingly important to control erosion which, if unchecked, will cause a buildup of sedimentation and phosphorous in our streams and ponds.

There are two outlet dams on Megunticook Lake. The towns of Camden and Lincolnville support the dams through annual appropriations and from a fund established by the Megunticook Lake Association. The Dam Advisory Committee, composed of members appointed from Camden, Lincolnville and the Lake Association, oversee the facility A part-time monitor checks water levels at the dam, making adjustments when necessary.

PUBLIC SAFETY:

Law Enforcement: In Lincolnville these services are performed primarily by the Waldo County Sheriffs Department, based in Belfast, and the Maine State Police, dispatched from the Thomaston barracks. The Sheriffs Department often has only one deputy on duty causing response times to vary considerably. There are generally several State Troopers on duty, however the distance from the Thomaston barracks and the large geographical area they cover makes response time vary.

Lincolnville has five Town constables, three of whom are Town residents. Three resident constables are part-time deputies and one non-resident constable is a full-time deputy with the Waldo County Sheriffs Department. There is no standardized method of dispatching these constables. By State statute, constables have all of the powers and duties of police officers. They are required to complete the same training as special police officers by obtaining a “pre-service training certificate” from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.

Each constable is appointed by the Selectmen for a term of up to one year. The certificate of appointment must state whether or not the constable is permitted to carry a weapon and, if so, whether the weapon may be carried concealed. A constable uses his own vehicle, keeping track of time spent, for reimbursement by the Town, at the rate of $5.50 per hour. The Town carries special insurance which covers the constables while they perform their duties. A Town police department does not seem necessary, or cost-effective, in the foreseeable future.

Fire Protection: Lincolnville has a volunteer fire department with stations at both the Center and the Beach. Fire Department personnel are paid for the first hour of attendance at fire calls and meetings. The chief is in charge of operations, and another fireman does the administrative work. Membership has fluctuated between 30 and 40 volunteers in recent years.

The Beach station is housed in a building which was constructed in 1966. It houses two fire trucks: a 1981 Ford 1000 gal. pumper and a 1966, 500 gal. tank/pumper. The .12 acre property is now hooked into the sewer plant at the Beach. In the spring of 1992 only six firemen staffed the Beach Station.

The Center station is an older building located in Lincolnville Center. It houses three fire trucks: a 1959 Brockway 2,000 gal. tanker, a 1959 Ford with 350 gal. capacity, and a 1973 Ford with a capacity of 750 gallons. All trucks pump at the rate of 500 gpm. The Center station property is composed of three small parcels that total .35 acres. Eventually a new station will be necessary to accommodate the larger fire trucks being built today.

The Fire Department has been trying to install one dry hydrant in a fire pond each year at strategic locations. Dry hydrant locations include: Bogg Bridge on Norton Pond, a site adjacent to Moody Mountain Road, and Levenseller Pond.

An additional fire hydrant is planned for the Youngtown area. These ponds should be easily accessible and deep enough so that their capacity isn’t greatly diminished by ice in winter.

Civil Defense: A member of the Fire Department serves as Lincolnville’s Civil Defense Director. In a disaster, the school could be used as a temporary shelter, but it has no emergency generator.

First Aid: The Camden First Aid Association is a nonprofit corporation operating out of the Camden fire station. It has two full-time employees and serves the towns of Rockport, Lincolnville and Hope and Camden. Most of its revenue comes from billings for services and private donations, with the remainder contributed by the four towns. The Association provides ambulance and emergency medical technician services to the entire Town. Three of these emergency personnel live in Lincolnville and are “first responders” who go directly to the site of the emergency.

ENERGY

Central Maine Power supplies electricity to the Town. Three-phase power is available along of Route #1, runs up Route #173 from the Beach, branches west onto Youngtown Road, turns north again onto Route 52 at Drake’s Corner, rejoins to Route 173, and continues up to the intersection of Route 235 in Lincolnville Center. A transformer is needed in order to utilize this power. The smallest transformer costs approximately $1200 and supplies 30 KVAs. If CMP’s net investment to supply the power exceeds its estimated annual revenue from the customer, the customer must pay a “contribution” of the difference between the estimated revenue and the construction cost. It is most cost-effective to have businesses that need three-phase power grouped together near the trunk line.

Street Lighting: There are a total of 12 street lights located in the Center and at the Beach, plus lighting on the Town pier. Most road intersections and neighborhoods do not have public street lighting. According to town staff, this is not considered a problem by most residents,

EDUCATION:

Lincolnville has its own public school for grades K-8. High School students attend Camden-Rockport High School on a tuition basis. Total school enrollment has remained approximately the same for the last 10 years. As of September 30, 1991, there were 197 children at the Lincolnville Central School. The Ashwood, a private school in Lincolnville, offers pre-school and kinder-garten classes. The 1990 Census and a study of future enrollments by the University of Maine indicate that the age groups from 0 to 5 and 25 to 44 are the fastest growing segments of the population.

The superintendent stated there is room for one more classroom within the existing school. There is a definite need for a gymnasium! multi-purpose room. Gym students now use the cafeteria when it is not in use. At present there are no classes in home economics or industrial arts at the junior high level.

The Lincolnville school building is in good condition: the two newer additions are well insulated, some energy-saving measures have been taken with the original structure, the school has an adequate water supply from its well, the septic system was recently expanded and there is plenty of Town-owned land in the vicinity for future additions. The cafeteria is used for community functions, including the annual Town meeting, since it is far larger than the meeting room at the town office. The school library also can be used by residents during school hours as long as it does not interfere with regular activities. Since there is no other library in Lincolnville, residents must use other library facilities. Lincolnville high school students are given a free card at the Camden Public Library.

Staff consists of a part-time superintendent, full-time principal, 13 full-time teacher positions, and various part-time positions. There are approximately 17 other full-time staff members including four teacher aides, library aide, secretary/receptionist, bookkeeper, two custodians, food supervisor, food assistant.

HEALTH CARE FACILITIES:

Lincolnville residents are served by health care facilities in Rockport at Penobscot Bay Medical Center and in Belfast at Waldo County General Hospital. No health care facilities were operating in Lincolnville. A dental office has opened at Lincolnville Beach.

COMMUNICATIONS:

The Lincolnville Telephone Co. services all areas of Lincolnville except Route 1 from the Camden line north to Route 173. Customers have access to a full range of modern services.

Newspapers serving residents of Lincolnville include The Camden Herald, the Belfast Republican Journal, Waldo Independent, the Bangor Daily News, and the Rockland Courier-Gazette.

There are a number of radio stations that cover this area. Stations that provide public service announcements and news about Lincolnville include WQSS radio in Camden, WMCM and WRKD in Rockland and WERU community radio in Blue Hill.

Beside the three regular television networks: (ABC, NBC and CBS), the area also receives two public broadcasting service stations. The Lincolnville Communications Co. provides excellent cable TV service to the entire town of Lincolnville, including a public access channel.

Lincolnville has two post offices. The Beach office furnishes rural route delivery to the Town as well as providing all other services. The Center Post office provides all services except rural delivery.

MUNICIPAL FACILITIES & SERVICES:

The 68-acre parcel where the town office, sand/salt building and school are located was donated to the Town. Lincolnville owns a number of other parcels in various locations. Eight lots range in size from .01 to.17 acres, five lots range from approximately .29 to .65 acres, the Norton Pond lot is 1.71 acres, the “Brown” lot is 2 acres, the Sprague lot is 69 acres, and the Gillmore lot is 112 acres.

The town office, built in 1987, has a meeting room with a capacity of approxi-mately 40 people, a good sized foyer/ waiting area, an open office with counter for town clerk and administrative functions, the Town Administrator’s office and an office for the Code Officer/Plumbing Inspector who works in Lincolnville three days per week. Parking is available for approximately 14 cars.

When Lincolnville changed its Charter to allow for a Town Administrator, it also increased the number of Selectmen from three to five. The Administrator, Deputy Administrator and Deputy Clerk all work full time. Assessing functions are now being handled by a firm located in Dover-Foxcroft; the primary contact from that office works in Lincolnville two days per month. More staff hours for assessing and code enforcement may need to be reviewed.

Public works functions are contracted out. The sand/salt building, measuring 60’ x 120,’ was completed in late 1989. The facility has a capacity of 3,000 cubic yards. Approximately half the funding for the $130,000 structure came from State funds and the remainder was provided by a three-year note from Camden National Bank at 6.4% interest.

The new fish pier facility at Lincolnville Beach was completed in 1991 to serve both commercial and recreational boaters. The 40’ X 80’ structure allows vehicular access for loading and unloading materials.

The Lincolnville Improvement Association Building at the Beach and the Community Center building at Lincolnville Center are both available to residents for meetings and events.

There are approximately 17 cemeteries in Lincolnville, most of which are supported by associations. None is owned by the Town. Space is currently available in the Youngtown, Union, Hill, and the upper section of the Heal Road cemeteries. All associations include perpetual care as part of the cost of purchasing a lot. Other burial grounds include the French cemetery at Lincolnville Beach, Canaan cemetery, Maplewood at Ducktrap and the lower section of the Heal cemetery.