By Amanda Estes
Staff Writer
Cape Elizabeth’s Assessor Matthew Sturgis recommended the town postpone revaluation for a minimum of one year due to uncertainty in the housing market.
During Tuesday’s town council meeting, Sturgis said he now anticipated implementing the assessment in April 2009, but he will report back to the council in a year’s time and determine whether the update should be postponed even later. The council unanimously voted in favor of the postponement.
In a memo to the council, Sturgis wrote in reviewing sales from 2006 and 2007, “there is not a great deal of confidence in these sale prices as strong indicators of future values, specifically on 2006 sales.”
“Sale volumes for the past five months is less than average, there is limited foreclosure activity noted and re-sales of properties have provided unclear market indicators,” Sturgis wrote. “It would be unwise to establish assessments on properties based on peak market pricing, and then face a system wide revision in the near term.”
Sturgis said the residential sales ratio, which demonstrates the relationship between the assessed value and a property’s sale price, has increased from 67 percent to 72 percent. He said one of the reasons to go through with the assessment update this year was based on the town’s ratio falling below 70 percent, the statutory minimum ratio.
Another reason to postpone the revaluation is due to the town’s assessment quality rating improving from 15 to 13 during the past year, Sturgis said. The rating measures assessment equity with a lower rating meaning assessments are more equitable.
“I don’t think we’re going to be hurt by putting this off for a year,” Sturgis said. “What we have right now for a product out there is quite strong.”
Regional Dispatching
The council unanimously approved Town Manager Michael McGovern’s recommendations outlining the town’s future steps, as it faces potential regional consolidation of its emergency dispatching.
McGovern’s recommendations include affirming the town’s dispatch services will be provided in the most cost-effective manner without compromising public safety and affirming the council’s current policy of continuing with a local dispatch center through July 1, 2011 at which time a further review will be conducted. McGovern also recommended the public safety department develop an enhanced protocol for providing services during major emergencies and employee absences.
While unable to attend Tuesday’s meeting, in his report to the council, McGovern writes, “the concern with the current system is that in times of very active calls, such as had during the Patriots’ Day storm [in April 2007], we are significantly challenged to handle all of the calls.”
McGovern said a consolidated service would also be inundated with calls during a major event and he questions whether a larger system would be more responsive at those times.
Cape Elizabeth and South Portland’s 911 calls will be answered by a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) in Portland. The consolidation, mandated by the Maine Public Utilities Commission, aims to reduce the number of PSAPs in the state.
In a report to the council, McGovern wrote costs will likely increase with full consolidation as the town will have to pay for the new system as well as to maintain local dispatchers.
McGovern is recommending the police department recruit individuals to serve as backup dispatchers, which is “less expensive than the consolidation proposals until such time that we need to make major investments in our dispatch system.”
He said the council may broach the subject at any time, but he recommends continue with a local dispatch system through 2011.