07/03/2026
Beware....this is going to be a looooooong one!
The town's officials have heard the chatter on the street, read the posts on Facebook, and have felt what everyone else is feeling. Due to the lack of attendance at Selectmen's and Town Meetings, we feel it's necessary to explain the timeline of how and why the buoys have been removed.
The Town Manager and Road Commissioner went to get a donated dock from the Bureau of Parks and Lands last year. While there, a gentleman who is in charge of the program for the buoys introduced himself and stated "we haven't received reports from the town of St. Albans in some time about the buoys and their locations.....". The Manager had never been informed of the program and the requirements until that day. From then on, the Board of Selectmen and Town Manager worked toward receiving a grant from Somerset County for projects at the park across from Indian Lake Market, which also included hiring someone who would assist with the buoys. An ad was posted in the paper for weeks with only one phone call from a gentleman who was MORE than willing to help and didn't expect compensation. Unfortunately, he was unwilling to put his boat through the bangs, bumps, and scratches that would come from the job of managing the buoys. When we say, "it's a dirty job", we mean it's a DIRTY job! It takes quite a toll on one's boat to do what's needed. We bought new chains for the buoys and planned a trip to Haley Concrete to fill the buckets, but no one was interested in the job.
The buoys were no longer where they needed to be. They began floating around the lake and not marking areas where boaters needed to be cautious. Imagine a boater making certain they are watching the buoy ahead of them, being slow and ensuring they are far enough away. Then.....BOOM! They hit a huge rock past the buoy. What were the buoys doing at that point? The state explained to the Town Manager, once notified that the buoys were still not being maintained, that "we will never see a state boat in Big Indian Lake". They continued to state the town would be responsible for damages to boats in the lake with the buoys still in place. If the buoys were removed, then the town would no longer be liable. We don't know about you all, but we would MUCH RATHER everyone's tax dollars went towards other items in the budget that are more helpful, than paying for damages to boats due to the buoys.
We understand how frustrating it is. We DID NOT WANT THIS OUTCOME. The Town Manager has been working very hard on a grant so the town can create another parking area at the Town Landing so more boaters are able to use the lake and have a place to park their vehicles and trailers. What would be the point of the expansion if no one feels comfortable boating and enjoying the lake like it should be?
What do we need? We need people who are willing to help the town! This year, there isn't much money in the budget to be paid out for compensation for the job. But if we can find someone who is willing to take the task on, we can look to compensate appropriately for the next year. We are looking for people who have positive ideas on how we can fix the problem.
We hope you all know that the negative posts and shaming of the town is not changing anything. Yet, we still understand the frustration and don't take it to heart. Everyone has a right to express their thoughts and desires and we support that. We just need help just like every other town in the state of Maine. It is a major problem that every town is facing and that problem is the lack of interest in participating and helping the towns. Without you all, we can't provide all the amenities that everyone enjoys. The removal of the buoys is just the first....can you imagine the other amenities that could disappear due to the lack of involvement from the newer generations? Please think about where you want the town to be in the new few years. Please think about how you may be affected by not being involved.
Please contact the Town Manager at the Town Office with positive ideas to fix the problem, the number of committees that are in need, and how you can be the positive change in St. Albans.
