Village Updates

The Board of Overseers will hold the next budget workshop for the 2025 budget on Saturday morning, 4/27 at 9AM. Budget workshops are for the Board to prepare the 2025 budget. They are open to the public but no input is solicited from attendees.

The agenda is as follows:

1) Budget Overview.
2) Collect any outstanding budget information, including capital budget.
3) Review line by line (with the assumption meetings 1 & 2 collected the major information so that the Overseers are primarily confirming line items).
4) Wrap up – focus on finalizing the budget and putting it into a format for discussing with village residents.

The latest working documents provided to the board for the 4/27 workshop are available here.

To join via Zoom: 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89729014895?pwd=RDYwTDhHVTROMmZoVG4zUDJCVVoxUT09

Meeting ID: 897 2901 4895
Passcode: 996122

One tap mobile +13052241968,,89729014895#,,,,*996122# US +13092053325,,89729014895#,,,,*996122# US

Northport is holding its Spring Clean-Up Day on Saturday, May 4th — and Baysiders are encouraged to participate. Come out to help beautify Northport!

Scones and coffee are provided free when you sign-in between 8AM-12PM on May 4th. You get one trash bag to fill up and a dump sticker for when you drop it off at the Transfer Station.

Spring into action — and thank you!

The Town of Northport will conduct emergency shoreline stabilization work within the Town’s right of way on the bay side of Shore Road, in the area between approximately 584 Shore Road and 600 Shore Road.

Work is expected to begin in the next few weeks and is scheduled to conclude by mid-May. At times during this work, the affected portions of Shore Road may be closed to traffic. Please use caution while driving in the project area.

If you have questions or concerns about this scope of work, please contact Northport Town Administrator, James Kossuth, at: 207-338-3819.

Hawkes Tree Service will be treating trees in village parks for brown tail moths during the second week of May. A more specific date is not possible at this time as work is dependent on good weather conditions. The scope of work will be limited to trees in village parks.

If you have concerns about brown tail moth infestations on your property, please contact Hawkes Tree Service at 207-442-7444 — or a tree service of your choice.

The Board of Overseers will hold a workshop to discuss infrastructure and capital projects priorities under consideration to protect village resources and address community needs.

The workshop will be held on April 24th at 6PM in Community Hall (downstairs) and via Zoom.

NOTE: Board workshops are held from time to time for the board to focus on a single topic. No board votes are taken at workshops. The public is invited to attend workshops to listen, but no community input is taken at that time.

To attend via Zoom, please use this link and passcode:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84353056498?pwd=Sit0WDhVeGpFeEpOb3FqWTlVS2hyUT09

Meeting ID: 843 5305 6498

Passcode: 565878

The Infrastructure Committee will meet on Tuesday, April 23rd at 3:30PM in Community Hall (downstairs) and via Zoom.

The public is invited to attend.

For agenda and materials to be reviewed in the meeting, please go here.

The Utilities Committee will hold its regular monthly meeting on Friday, April 19 at 2:30PM. The meeting will be held in Community Hall (downstairs) and via Zoom. The public is invited to attend.

The meeting agenda is as follows:

1. Call to order
2. Approve March meeting minutes
3. Superintendent’s Report
4. Financial Review
5. USDA Reserves — 2021 Audit
6. 2025 Budget Process
7. 9 North Ave question
8. Other business

The March 15 meeting minutes are available here.

The March Superintendent’s Report is available here.

The March utilities billing report is available here.

Click here to join the meeting via Zoom.

Meeting ID: 829 6150 8196

Passcode: 912998

NVC is now accepting credit cards for online payment of sewer and water bills. If this is an option that appeals to you, please see the details below for paying utility bills online. Of course, you can continue to pay utility bills via check, in person or through regular mail.

Here is how online bill payment works:

1. Credit cards accepted are: VISA, Mastercard, American Express, Discover.
2. You must use the dedicated links to pay sewer and water bills.
3. To pay your sewer bill, please use this link only.
4. To pay your water bill, please use this link only.
5. Please make sure to enter the correct NVC utility account number listed on your bill.
6. Also: use the correct village property address to ensure your payment is recorded accurately.

IMPORTANT NOTES: 

• There is a fee for this service, which is a requirement of the State of Maine. See information about the fee in the Disclosure below. This is not an NVC fee.
• You can pay Watercraft and Facilities Use fees by credit card ONLY IN PERSON AT THE NVC OFFICE WINDOW with a completed application.
• NVC does not collect your Town of Northport or Village Property taxes.  Any payment for property taxes must be done at the Town of Northport office.  

Questions? Please call the NVC Office at 207-338-0751 during regular office hours and speak to Trish.

[Disclosure]

PayPort is a service offered by a third party working in partnership with the State of Maine and this municipality. As part of our service to you, we will remit the designated portion of your payment to the municipality on your behalf. The balance funds the operation of this and other Maine.gov online services. Conducting business through Maine PayPort is voluntary and the final cost may be higher than using other forms of payment. This service is provided by the Information Resource of Maine (InforME) as designated in statute of (M.R.S.A.Title 1, Ch. 14).

Transactions up to $40  – $1 processing fee
Transactions over $40 – 2.5% processing fee

The NVC Utilities Committee has approved an extension, through October 6, 2024, of the moratorium on new connections to the village sewer system. The committee approved the moratorium extension following a public hearing on the issue on March 15th. 

The sewer connections moratorium is in place to allow time to study how increased load will impact the village sewer system. The moratorium dates back to March 2022 and has been extended three times since it was originally enacted. 

For more information on the moratorium, please go here.

The planning for Bayside waterfront coverage for Summer 2024 is underway. Lifeguard coverage will be expanded to seven days, with the goal of one lifeguard on duty each day. Payton Ward will be returning to service for weekends and a new lifeguard is being recruited for Monday thru Friday. The job posting for that position is copied below.

SUMMER LIFEGUARD POSITION – 2024

Come Lifeguard in Beautiful Bayside Maine!

Bayside Village (known formally as the Northport Village Corporation) is a picturesque coastal community in Northport, Maine. We are seeking a lifeguard for our wharf and waterfront for the 2024 summer season. The season runs from the end of June thru mid/end of August.  

Special Note: This is a Monday-thru-Friday job – you’ll have weekends off!

The lifeguard position entails the following:

• Oversee swimming, monitoring fishing and boating activities near the swimming area, and alerting boaters who venture too close to that area. 

• Enforce waterfront regulations. 

• Recognize and respond effectively to emergencies. 

• Thorough knowledge and application of lifeguarding surveillance and rescue techniques. 

• Leadership and good communications skills.

Requirements: First Aid, CPR, AED, and Lifeguard Waterfront Certification. (The Village will pay for the Waterfront Certification training.)

We offer a competitive wage based on lifeguarding experience.

Applicants should send a letter with a resume and references to:

Michael Tirrell, Bayside Board of Overseers

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 212-804-8687

The schedule of workshops for preparing the 2025 budget for the Northport Village Corporation is now available. Budget workshops are conducted by the Board of Overseers as a key part of the process of establishing each year’s budget. These are working sessions where the Overseers go through each line item and assess needs and requirements for the coming year.

The public is welcome to attend these workshops to listen and learn about how the Overseers are composing the 2025 budget. Each session will start at 9AM and run one hour. Workshops are held in Community Hall (downstairs) and via Zoom.

The working draft of the 2025 budget is available here.

The schedule for workshops are as follows:

Workshop 1 – 2/17
1) Budget overview – format, what has been done so far.
2) Input from the Overseers – specifically review the information requested from committee or overseer.
3) Capital Budget Planning – identifying capital projects that will be included in the 2024 operating budget.
4) Wrap up – next steps (updated budget based on input from Meeting 1 and share updated budget with Overseers).

Workshop 2 – 3/16
1) Budget Overview – review what was provided in Meeting 1 and budget impact. 2) Collect any remaining input from Overseers not provided during Meeting 1.
3) Review budget sections (not line by line yet, but still major areas).
4) 2025 Capital Budget projects (if any).
5) Wrap up.

Workshop 3 – 4/27
1) Budget Overview.
2) Collect any outstanding budget information, including capital budget.
3) Review line by line (with the assumption meetings 1 & 2 collected the major information so that the Overseers are primarily confirming line items).
4) Wrap up – focus on finalizing the budget and putting it into a format for discussing with the villagers.

To join via Zoom:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89729014895?pwd=RDYwTDhHVTROMmZoVG4zUDJCVVoxUT09

Meeting ID: 897 2901 4895
Passcode: 996122

One tap mobile +13052241968,,89729014895#,,,,*996122# US +13092053325,,89729014895#,,,,*996122# US

The 2024 dates for Utilities Committee meetings are now set. The committee meets on the third Friday of each month – generally the Friday after the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Board of Overseers. 

The committee meeting dates are as follows: 

1/19, 2/16, 3/15, 4/19, 5/17, 6/21, 7/19, 8/16, 9/20, 10/18, 11/15, 12/20.

Utilities Committee meetings are at 2:30PM and can be joined in person in Community Hall (downstairs) or online. 

The agenda for each meeting follows a standard structure:

1. CALL TO ORDER
2. APPROVE MINUTES
3. SUPERINDENTENT’S REPORT
4. FINANCIAL REVIEW
5. OTHER BUSINESS.

To join a Utilities Committee meeting via Zoom please click here.

Meeting ID: 829 6150 8196

Passcode: 912998

To dial-in via audio: Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kkH7fyLYG

The following is a message to all NVC wastewater customers, from Chuck Applebee, Utility Superintendent:

For the last six weeks or so the wastewater system has experienced severe overloading and the village is not always meeting our wastewater discharge permit limits for BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand).

This could be the result of a resident or residents discharging substances that the wastewater plant cannot adequately treat.

Some examples might be a small micro-brewery, coffee brewing at a commercial rate, a bakery, or other small commercial activities.

If you are discharging anything other than human waste and toilet paper please contact the Village Office to discuss the nature of your discharge at 207-338-0751. 

Please refer to the following links detailing sewer guidance information for wastewater discharge:

https://www.nvcmaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Bayside-Guest-Sewer-Flier-2022.pdf

https://www.nvcmaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/NVC-household-hazardous-waste-brochure.pdf

Also, this notice is being sent via regular mail, but you can help us reduce the cost of such mailings by providing your email address to the office. Please contact Trish Parker with your email address at: officemanager@nvcmaine.org.

The Utilities Committee meets on the Friday before the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Board of Overseers. The committee meeting dates are as follows:

11/11/22, 1/6/23, 2/10/23, 3/10/23, 4/14/23, 5/12/23, 6/9/23, 7/7/23, 8/11/23, 9/8/23,10/6/23, 11/10/23

Utilities Committee meetings are at 2:30PM and can be joined in person in Community Hall (downstairs) or online.

The agenda for each meeting follows a standard structure: CALL TO ORDER, APPROVE MINUTES, SUPERINDENTENT’S REPORT, FINANCIAL REVIEW, OTHER BUSINESS.

To join a Utilities Committee meeting via Zoom please click here.

Meeting ID: 829 6150 8196

Passcode: 912998

To dial-in via audio: Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kkH7fyLYG

Following a public hearing on October 7th, the Utilities Committee met in a regular meeting and voted to approve an expanded moratorium on new sewer connections thru 2023.

The Moratorium, initially approved thru September 26, 2022 and now extended until April 7 2023, prohibits permits for new sewer connections pending further study of current capacity.

For more details on the Moratorium and to explore frequently asked questions about this issue, please go here.

Hours for New Playground & Basketball Court

More than 20 families have homes that ring Ruggles Park and I’ve been asked by a number of them to send a friendly message reminding Baysiders — particularly parents of young children — that the new playground and basketball court hours are from 8AM-9PM daily. 

The hours are in place to respect the various ways that people of all ages enjoy Bayside. The new playground is a wonderful magnet and everyone is thrilled at how popular it is with children. But please remember that the playground and basketball court open at 8AM — and the 9PM closing time is particularly important to area residents who cherish evening quiet time.

Also, if you would, please let your house guests and renters know that the hours for the Ruggles Park kids play areas are: 8AM to 9PM. 

Thank you!

Janae Novotny, President

Northport Village Corporation

This is a special and timely notice about bike safety in Bayside. Scenes of kids heading off on their bikes is a longtime village hallmark – whether they’re tearing down to the wharf, pedaling up to the Bayside Store for ice cream, or meeting up in Ruggles Park for a group activity.

And yet, already this summer, we are hearing of heightened concern about bike safety issues.
Recently, there was an alarming near miss involving a vehicle and children on bikes on Shore
Road – along a stretch that has some hills and blind spots.

STOP Means STOP
All bikers – young and not-so – need to STOP at STOP signs, but many children don’t. This is
especially important in busy, high traffic areas – including all streets leading to Ruggles Park.
Next time you’re around the park, watch how kids barrel down the hill on Maple St. and sail
right thru the intersection by Blair Realty. Our police officer is making a special effort to reinforce messages around bike safety – but he cannot be everywhere at once, as we know.

Wear a Helmet: It’s the law
Maine state law requires a bike helmet for anyone under the age of 16. Please click here for a
one-sheet note on Maine’s Bicycling Law, the attachment is a screen grab from the website of
the Bicycle Coalition of Maine (www.bikemaine.org).

Message from Safety Committee Chair, Michael Tirrell

All fireworks are prohibited in Bayside.  The Town of Northport’s Fireworks Ordinance states, “No person shall use, possess with the intent to use, sell, possess with the intent to sell, or offer for sale consumer fireworks within the geographic limits of the Northport Village Corporation.” 

In addition, state law and local ordinances severely restrict and/or require permits for fire pits and recreational fires.  Bonfires (fires larger than 2’ in diameter or with flames higher than 2’) require both a permit from the Town of Northport and permission from the NVC Overseers.  Please refer to the Fire Ordinance for specific information, which is available here. An informational  “Be Fire Smart!” brochure is available here.

The Tree Committee would like to share information on the Emerald Ash Borer present now in Maine. This spring, the NVC has partnered with Hawkes Tree Service to treat our ash trees with the goal of preserving our beautiful and prominent ash trees in our Bayside parks.

To understand more about the Emerald Ash Borer and how to best preserve your own ash trees, please use the following resources from the State of Maine.

https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/caps/EAB/index.shtml

https://extension.umaine.edu/home-and-garden-ipm/fact-sheets/common-name-listing/emerald-ash-borer/

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MEDACF/bulletins/2e1a007

Road Encroachment Notice: November 11, 2021

Please visit the Governance Minutes page for an important message regarding village streets and roads.