Thumbs down to the state Appropriations Committee for voting 11 to 1 to kill the York County Jail bill that would have lowered the county’s operating expenses under the jail consolidation cap by $280,000, in perpetuity.

L.D. 1745 is still awaiting Senate action, after it was passed unanimously by the Criminal Justice Committee and the House and Senate before it was “killed” by Appropriations. There is a slight chance it could survive, according to Sen. Jon Courtney.

There’s no question York County government erred when it included $280,000 in capital expenses to its operating costs when the jail caps were being calculated. According to Courtney, the Board of Corrections has said the capital expense ”“ for HVAC equipment ”“ should never have been included in the $8.667 million annual cap. Sen. Bill Diamond of Appropriations said the bill was killed, in part, because it would cost the state money beginning in 2013, which is the year the county will have paid the debt on the HVAC system. Technically, that is true, but it is money that shouldn’t have been included under the cap in the first place.

Thumbs up to the members of the Sanford Police Department, who agreed to forgo raises this year in order to prevent layoffs. Their willingness to negotiate with town administrators and make such a major concessions ”“ not only in pay but in benefits ”“ is a testament to their dedication to maintaining a high quality of service to the town.

Thumbs up to the decision of Old Orchard Beach Town Council members to join neighboring communities in the regional Sea Level Adaptation Work Group. OOB will now join Biddeford, Saco and Scarborough to address regional water issues together. All four communities’ willingness to cooperate should help avoid disputes in the future and lead to solutions for flooding and other problems.

Thumbs up to the Lebanon Rescue Crews for their diligent attempts to locate ATV riders who had been reported as missing early last week. Two were hurt in an ATV crash and told officials that others might still be injured along the trail. Though searches did not turn up any others and the crash is still under investigation, The searchers should be commended for spending many nighttime and daylight hours looking for them.

Thumbs up to all the recreation departments and other groups that hosted Easter egg hunts for youth earlier this month. The tradition is a colorful, happy way to welcome spring and get everyone outside again after a long, cold winter.

Thumbs down to the many Arundel parents who chose not to participate in the recent survey that asked them, in part, whether they prefer to send Arundel students to Thornton Academy Middle School or Middle School of the Kennebunks. The school board cannot get a clear view of the financial and emotional impact of their future decisions unless parents tell them what they want. The board made it easy to participate ”“ with direct mailings and follow-up phone calls ”“ but the response rate was abysmal for a local issue that should be of great concern. Citizens must be engaged before it’s too late and they can only show up at a board meeting to complain.

Thumbs up to the City of Biddeford and the school department for hearing neighbor’s concerns about the condition of Highland Avenue, in relation to the renovations planned at the nearby high school. Public Works has agreed to make improvements to the road as part of the high school renovation project and says that bus traffic on the road will be greatly reduced as a result of the entrance redesign.

— 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 e-mail at jtcommunity@journaltribune.com or by dropping your letter off at our Biddeford or Sanford offices.