At the Brooklet City Council meeting on April 17th, Officer Zachary Stendor was sworn in to join the Brooklet Police Department.
The hiring of Stendor makes 3 officers that have radar certification in the department. Sergeant Nikki Garman had high praises for Stendor for his work over his first 2 weeks.
City Manager Carter Crawford reported that Brooklet is in good financial health, with a proposed budget draft completed and pending audit. He also mentioned a potential community cleanup campaign.
Council members debated another increase in utility rates. While acknowledging the importance of keeping the system financially sustainable, they expressed frustration over unclear boundaries of control and viewed the rate increase as an unfortunate, but necessary step.
The council discussed a developer’s request to allow residential lot sizes below the city’s 10,000-square-foot minimum due to wetlands on the property. Members were open to the idea if the developer includes upgrades like drainage improvements, architectural standards, and amenities such as a clubhouse or pool. They also suggested a homeowners association to help maintain neighborhood quality. A joint workshop with the Planning & Zoning Commission will be held to review the sketch plan.
City staff also raised concerns about a few property owners who haven’t paid city taxes since before 2010. Appalachian Mountain INC. was the company that was in question in the meeting's agenda. The county, not the city, handles tax collection, but council noted they could pursue legal action if needed.
Personnel policy updates were approved, including a probation period for new hires, comp time for exempt employees, and a federal-guideline-based travel reimbursement plan. A fleet safety policy will now require drivers' records and equipment qualifications to be verified. Hotel reimbursement will only apply to trips over 50 miles.
The council also approved giving the city manager, with engineer input, flexibility to waive certain street access requirements to accommodate emergency services.
Other actions included hiring a full-time Water and Sewer Maintenance Technician, planning further discussion on food truck application rules, and approving an emergency purchase.
Click here for the agenda and approved documents.