Washington County:
One Community Brochure
(PDF 112 KB)
 

Washington County: One Community
Infrastructure
Focus Team

The mission of the Infrastructure Focus Team is to help to create a county with reliable and modern telecommunication and transportation that supports well-developed community-based physical and social service systems that support ecologically sound principles.

Infrastructure changes are essential.  The needs and requests of our citizens are evident from responses received from the Washington County: One Community county-wide survey.

They include telecommunication, transportation, and energy.  In addition, we are pursuing multi-use of school facilities and support for the trails projects.

The Infrastructure Focus Team has named as its three priorities for the coming year’s projects:  (1) Telecommunication and cell phone service without “dead spots”; (2) Public Transportation for all residents within Washington County; and, (3) Alternate (sustainable, renewable) Energy. 

With determination, the Infrastructure Focus Team perseveres to implement solutions.  This progress is governed by our desire to involve businesses, agencies, services, and residents within Washington County with our efforts.  We believe in the concept of “Buy Local”.  Together we will collaborate with others to benefit from our own combined strengths and expertise.

Our Infrastructure Focus Team is pursuing exciting and challenging ways to make life the way it should be in Washington County.  We welcome all residents who want to do their part in making things work more easily and more comfortably, while still maintaining the integrity of our Washington County.
 

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Members

Betsy Fitzgerald
Chair

Jane Blackwood
Lorraine McDermott
Penny Guisinger
Susan Hillman Bourne
Georgianne Kendall
Rick Tanney
Jeremy Gabrielson

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Projects

Telecommunication - Broadband

Making telecommunication our first priority, we turned to a Washington County-based industry, Axiom Technologies of Machias. Within the past six months, broadband has been made available to over half of our geographic area.  With a second release of funds through grants, a diligent effort is bringing the service to more areas.  The goal is to achieve broadband access for our businesses and residents as well as cellular telephone access throughout the whole county.

Axiom Technologies submitted a ConnectME grant application in July, 2008 for over $500,000.  Letters of support were written to accompany the application. If funded this initiative will provide broadband to thirty-one communities yet unserved in Washington County

If you would like to learn more, please contact Betsy Fitzgerald, Chair of the Infrastructure Focus Team.
 

Schools and Community:
Making the Most of Our K-12 Assets

 

Small rural schools are under extreme funding pressures and we need to find creative ways to make our tax dollars go as far as possible.  We believe that our schools are community cornerstones and can do more than serve K-12 education – in other words, expand the mission and business model.  Our ideas include adult education, workforce training, day care, distance communications, meeting space and public transportation.  We also want to maximize Buy Local opportunities.

Transportation

Currently West Bus Lines offers regular round-trip transportation from Calais to Ellsworth and Bangor. It also offers charter services upon request. The main missing link appears to be intra-community services for short trips to the grocery store, shopping areas, pharmacy, doctor’s office, hospital, and community events.  Coordinating travel patterns that link major inter-community roads together appears to be our greatest challenge.

 RIDE-SHARE PROGRAMS are offered by WHCA primarily for commuters through Go Maine! In addition to MaineCare and other social service transportation, WHCA provides trips to shopping centers, grocery stores, pharmacies, and medical appointments by WHCA bus in certain communities for seniors.  The cost is very reasonable and the service convenient. When space is available, WHCA will accommodate other riders requesting such service as well.  Upon request, other destinations can be arranged. 

Our intent is not to be competitive, but supportive and “fill in the gaps”.  We are developing a similar program to supplement needs of other residents who can use a service with different time schedules and purposes.  Our plan is to focus on intra-community travel services for residents.

A most recent addition to our possibilities is the construction of THE SUNRISE TRAIL.  We will enjoy the trails for recreational purposes. We will also investigate the possibility of reviving public transportation over the same rail beds. That access could alleviate our individual, exorbitant gas costs; a ride on the train would reduce individual costs for our residents, businesses, and manufacturers with shipping costs.  At this point, the possibility is yet a dream, but indeed a worthy one!

TRANSPORTATION BY AIR is another facet of the total infrastructure package. The search for a site for a regional airport continues. With the availability of GIS mapping and other resources, environmental scientists have identified potential sites within a thirty-minute drive time of Machias. Further study is necessary. 

Alternative, Renewable, Sustainable Energy

The newest arrival to our Focus Team is EXPLORING ALTERATIVE ENERGY found or produced right here in Washington County.  Already a group of residents has begun the exploring process and has requested to join with us to delve more deeply into other energy sources.  To date, these sources include tidal, wave, wind-power, geothermal procedures, wood chips, algae production, peat moss processing, hydro-power – all generating power based on our many home-grown energy opportunities. These exploration steps will lead toward the implementation of services for a better life in Washington County.

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Minutes

The most recent minutes contain the agenda for the next meeting. Meeting dates available here.

April 1, 2008
March 4, 2008
January 8, 2008
June 26, 2007
June 18, 2007
June 5, 2007

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