Thumbs up to the decision in Saco to put off a proposed $10.8 million construction project for a new public works building. With a property tax increase of 18 percent just last year, residents are reeling from the hit to their pocketbooks and are unlikely to support this project. Rather than waste time putting forward a plan that is virtually guaranteed to be rejected by voters, city leaders are taking the more prudent path of making minor repairs to shore up the building in the meantime.

It’s clear from the recent vote on the Stackpole Bridge repairs that Saco voters are in no mood to agree to large expenditures. While some believe investing in the current building is unwise since it is not projected for public works use in the long-term, it seems unlikely that the city will simply demolish the building, and improvements will make it more attractive for resale or future reuse.

Thumbs down to the Kennebunk selectmen’s decision to disregard part of the town’s beach ordinance by refusing to set up a smoking area on Kennebunk Beach. In their decision last week, the board decided to keep the beach smoking ban absolute and provide no place for smokers to indulge. The ban on smoking makes sense when one considers the pollution and litter that often result from people indulging in cigarettes and other smoking material. Smokers who respect the ban, however, should have a place where they can smoke out of the way of others, with appropriate receptacles for their waste. By not providing a designated place to smoke, the town is inviting people to violate the ordinance by smoking on the beach, and this does not serve anyone well.

Thumbs up to the decision in Kennebunk to invest in compressors for a town ice skating rink, to be located at the 51 Main St. lot, known as the Mobil station lot. The town got a great deal on the compressors, which were sold at a considerable discount, but maintenance of the rink will be an ongoing expense. We agree with the majority of selectmen that this is a worthwhile investment going forward. Tourism is a huge part of downtown Kennebunk/Kennebunkport’s economy, and an outdoor ice rink is the perfect addition to the area to draw families and couples during the winter season. Ice rinks are a picture-perfect example of making happy winter memories, so what better to draw those who are looking for a romantic or fun getaway? We’re glad the town was able to get a break on the first step of this investment, which will definitely draw more people downtown. A huge thumbs up also goes to the anonymous resident who will be donating the ice rink matting for this project.

Thumbs down to the censure of York County Budget Committee members by the York County Commissioners Wednesday, for the committee’s refusal to sign disclosure forms associated with the county ethics policy. This situation has gotten out of control, with the two groups planning to take the dispute to court ”“ using our tax dollars. The biggest point of contention with the ethics policy is a provision that allows the commissioners to review, modify or reverse a vote taken by the committee. The commissioners should not be seeking to usurp the authority of the committee in such a way, and should respect them enough to let them decide how to propertly handle potential conflicts of interest – the budget board in the past has followed state law on conflicts of interest and a week ago adopted their own ethics policy that addresses the conflict issue. If these two groups of people are more interested in a power struggle than on doing the people’s business in the clear, it’s time for new commissioners and new committee members.

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Thumbnails is a Monday feature of the Journal Tribune’s opinion pages. If you would like to respond, please write the Reader’s Forum via email at [email protected] or by dropping your letter off at our Biddeford office.