Jefferson Residents Discuss Food Sovereignty, Renovations

Questions centered on a proposed food sovereignty ordinance and updates to the town office during a public hearing held on Monday, April 7, to discuss the warrant for Jefferson’s upcoming town meeting by referendum.

Voters will consider 32 articles at the meeting, which is set for Tuesday, April 22, at the Jefferson Village School. Polls will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Absentee voting is now available at the town office.

The warrant includes a proposed municipal budget of $1,533,997, an increase of $157,833 or 11.47% over last year. Both the Jefferson Budget Committee and Jefferson Select Board unanimously recommended the budget total at a Feb. 19 joint meeting.

The category that saw the greatest increase was administration, with a recommended total of $531,219, an increase of $70,743 or 15.36% over last year. Part of this increase reflects ongoing shifts in town office staffing, according to Town Administrator Lynne Barnikow.

The audit budget also increased, totaling $37,000 in the proposed budget, an increase of $14,500 or 64.44%. The town hired a new auditor with higher rates, Jefferson Select Board Chair Pamela Grotton said on Tuesday, Feb. 24.

The cost category with the second greatest increase is protection and health, which totals $490,605, an increase of $44,398 or 9.85% from last year. The major contributor to this increase is the rising cost of ambulance service contracts, select board members said in February.

Jefferson contracts with both Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service and Waldoboro EMS for service. The total of the ambulance service cost center for the upcoming fiscal year is $272,400, an increase of $33,956 or 14.2% over last year’s budget.

The budget category for roads and highways totals $496,650, an increase of $42,480 or 9.35% over last year’s budget. The budget line for road repair rose to $50,000, an increase of $6,000 or 13.6%. In addition, snow plowing contract costs rose, totaling $352,150, an increase of $36,480 or 11.56% over last year’s budgeted amount.

The remaining costs, grouped together in the unclassified category, total $15,523, an increase of $212 or 13.8% over last year. The only increase is seen in the public library’s budget, which totals $7,773.

At the public hearing, residents discussed some financial articles, including two separate articles proposing funds for the Jefferson Fire Department.

Article 18 proposes raising and appropriating $80,000 for the department’s fire truck and rescue reserve fund. The town typically adds to this fund yearly, with the goal of eventually being able to afford a new truck, according to Jefferson Fire Chief Darin Walker.

This year’s proposed contribution marks an increase of $10,000 or 14.3% over last year. Walker said the rising costs of fire trucks, which now cost over $1 million for a standard model, made greater investments necessary.

The second fire department warrant article also relates to the rising costs of trucks, according to Walker. The department has tentative plans to purchase a new “mini pumper,” which Walker said will enable the department to travel down narrow camp roads and driveways safely.

Article 20 asks voters to appropriate $50,000 from unreserved surplus toward the cost of the mini pumper.

Jefferson Planning Board Chair Bill Farren asked about the proposed town office renovations. Article 15 asks voters to appropriate $73,950 from unreserved surplus toward repairs and modifications to the municipal office building.

Meetings will still be held in the office if the renovations move forward, but the meeting space will be moved into another room in order to better utilize existing space, Grotton said.

The bulk of the work that is necessary at the building will be done on the exterior, where there is extensive rotting of the building’s siding, according to Jefferson Select Board member Robert “Jigger” Clark.

Residents also asked for clarification on a proposed ordinance, entitled “Local Food and Community Self-Governance Ordinance of 2025.” Resident Jon Olson submitted the ordinance, which he based on a template, he said.

If adopted, the ordinance would exempt some Jefferson food producers from state oversight, such as the requirement to obtain a state license to sell produce. The ordinance would apply to local food producers who sell their products directly to consumers, such as at a farm stand; some types of food, like pork and poultry, are not included under the ordinance and would still be subject to state inspection.

Jefferson would be the fourth town in Lincoln County to adopt such an ordinance, joining Whitefield, Alna, and, most recently, Waldoboro.

Proponents have said the ordinance provides a framework to prevent small farmers losing revenue to regulatory bodies, such as through licensing fees. During discussions around food sovereignty preceding votes to enact the ordinance in Whitefield and Waldoboro, skeptics raised questions about safeguards for food safety.

The ordinance ultimately passed in Waldoboro with 88.8% of the vote in November 2024.

At Jefferson’s April 7 hearing, one resident said the ordinance, as written, lacked specificity, specifically regarding the scale of the farms that would be able to take advantage of the ordinance’s provisions, which the document describes as “small-scale.”

Farren asked whether the ordinance had been reviewed by a lawyer.

Olson said yes, noting that the ordinance was a template that had been used by other municipalities throughout Maine. The select board did not comment.

Generally, residents at the hearing said they supported the ordinance and were in favor of reducing the regulations applied to local farmers.

Jefferson’s annual town meeting by referendum will be held on Tuesday, April 22, at the Jefferson Village School. Polls will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, go to jeffersonmaine.org or call 549-7401.