Rockland Rambler

By Chelsea Maude Avirett

Additional Column Posts (21 - 40 of 52) Prev Page | Next Page

• City Hall's shelf of shame

  By Chelsea Avirett - Apr 20
  While brainstorming topics for this column, I realized that I’ve hit a milestone: this is column number fifty I’ve written for The Courier-Gazette....
  

• Council should aim to engage residents in problem-solving

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Feb 23
  In the last few years, Rockland city councilors have hosted frequent workshops on ordinance and policy revisions in order to encourage civic ...
  

• There are good models for regulating marijuana businesses

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Jan 12
  City Council recently held the first workshop in a planned series to discuss how the city should regulate potential marijuana businesses in the ...
  

• In search of an aesthetic that honors both past and present

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Dec 08
  At the recent City Council workshop, members of the public and council examined proposed ordinance amendments that would allow infill development ...
  

• Port District, city should retool their relationship for ...

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Nov 03
  Capt. Richard Spear was not surprised when no one immediately pulled papers to run for the Rockland Port District. Competitive elections for the ...
  

• Some questions for City Council candidates

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Oct 06
  As I’ve talked to candidates running for City Council, read bios and introductions to voters, and asked supporters why they’ll be voting for this ...
  

• First catch up on maintenance, then implement long-term plans

  By Chelsea Avirett - Aug 11
  In November, the city of Rockland will ask voters to approve several bonds, including one to fund necessary repairs to or rebuilding of several ...
  

• Council should examine policy on donations to nonprofits

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Jul 14
  In this year’s budget, City Council will donate $60K to four local nonprofit organizations. Two of these donations are recurring: Rockland Main ...
  

• Leveraging the community to meet its needs

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Jun 11
  City staff has proposed adding a volunteer coordinator position to the upcoming city budget at a cost of $68,000, including benefits. City ...
  

• Make trash fees reflect environmental, as well as economic, ...

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - May 12
  The recent discussion about City Council’s approval of a revised fee structure for dumping municipal solid waste brings up an interesting question ...
  

• Discussion showed best and worst of democracy

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Mar 23
  The discussion about the recent diversity resolution City Council passed in a divided vote revealed democracy at its best and democracy at its ...
  

• The pro's and con's of home rule

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Feb 09
  One of the concerns several Councilors have raised about the proposed food sovereignty ordinance is that the city of Rockland does not have ...
  

• How to add green space to infill

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Dec 22
  When Councilor Valli Geiger first introduced infill, she noted one drawback was potentially decreased green space in a community. At the last City ...
  

• Food sovereignty ordinance could benefit the city

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Nov 17
  When I first heard that City Council was considering a food sovereignty ordinance, I was skeptical. First, because Rockland has only one farm that ...
  

• A better way to revise city ordinances

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Oct 20
  Rockland City Council has introduced two significant ordinance revisions recently: short-term rentals and the guidelines for power-generation ...
  

• What role do we want local government to play?

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Sep 22
  During discussions about the recent Air BnB ordinance, residents frequently voiced concern that the city’s Life Safety code is too stringent. ...
  

• Questions regarding city attorney remain unanswered

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Jul 28
  One question left unanswered at the end of budget season is whether the City Council will maintain an in-house, full-time attorney or outsource ...
  

• Re-vision zoning with an eye to coexistence

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Jun 30
  Over the last two years, City Council has considered at least eight specific requests to rezone parcels. Some of these are minor changes, such as ...
  

• Community policing: 'Here with you, here for you'

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - May 27
  Local crime is at its lowest rate in 40 years. Some of this decline mirrors a national decline; some is a product of Walmart’s defection to ...
  

• Tech school expansion, done responsibly, deserves support

  By Chelsea Maude Avirett - Apr 28
  During the April agenda-setting meeting, representatives from the Midcoast School of Technology visited Rockland’s City Council to drum up support ...