Next March, Alna’s annual town meeting will convene in an expanded area thanks to an overwhelmingly positive vote Saturday for a new $375,000 addition to the town’s fire station.
However, the second high profile issue, a proposed “comprehensive” revaluation of private property, met an overwhelming defeat.
“I’m happy, very happy,” said Fire Chief Mike Trask about the vote on the firehouse. Trask said the department did a lot of groundwork and several factors like the $160,000 donation and 4.1 percent interest rate Damariscotta Bank and Trust offered for a ten-year loan.
Other department members like Assistant Fire Chief Roger Whitney expressed their elation over the support they received from the community. Whitney made a presentation of the project for the session and fielded questions about it.
First Selectman Billie Willard was not so happy. Monday in a phone interview about the outcome of the proposed revaluation, she expressed her dismay.
“I tried to tell them my taxes, their taxes are going to go up this year,” she said.
Willard argued this year would be good for a comprehensive revaluation from O’Donnell & Associates because of the downward curve of the real estate market and said Maine Municipal Association recommended it.
Former selectman John Green and Willard wrote the article for the revaluation. Green said the board had made a decision previously to update the valuation every five to eight years, and it has been eight years since one has been done.
The revaluation would bring the town up to 100 percent valuation as mandated by the state. Alna is currently at 70 percent valuation, Willard said.
Despite all of the seriousness of town meeting and the two major items of business, plenty of levity from kibitzing back and forth amongst the citizenry and the ever-ready quips from moderator Chris Cooper kept the meeting balanced.
Cooper, who has repeatedly been elected moderator each year by popular demand, took the brunt of some of the ribbing that often characterizes some New England town meetings and Alna’s annual gathering in particular.
Alna’s town meeting also serves to be a community coming together after a long and drawn out winter when people can gather around some hot soup and gourmet breads during noonday break to enjoy each other’s company and exchange updates on the their lives. Even non-residents can join in the camaraderie.
Incumbent Louis “Butch” Brown did not seek re-election this term.
David Seigars defeated his opponent, incumbent Brian Lawrence, for the third selectman position for a three-year term with 112 votes to 91 votes for Lawrence.
Road Commissioner Mike Trask ran unopposed for his position for a one-year term and received 121 votes. Dominic Caristo ran unopposed for treasurer and received 135 votes.
Liz Brown, who has been serving on the school committee, did not fill out papers in time for the election but was a write-in candidate and received 15 write-ins. The school committee itself will be dissolved June 30. On July 1 the new Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit (RSU) board will assume responsibility for oversight of education in the unit towns.
School committee chairman Barbara Baston said, “We budget pretty closely, but there are eight students we didn’t budget for.”
McIntire said officials of the RSU have recommended school committees allow for $35 per student in forming their budget, but Alna opted not to do so.
“I think they were showing respect for the voters,” he said.
According to McIntire, during the first three years with the RSU, the cost of education is going to increase before it will be reduced owing to diminished administration costs.
“It’s not going to reduce the tax burden, but it will keep it from increasing so fast,” he said.
Asked what would happen if the citizens’ referendum in November overturns the statute mandating school consolidation, McIntire said the Legislature would have to reconvene and it could take 18 months to deconstruct everything.
“You would have no school budget, no payroll, and they might say selectmen are the school board (temporarily),” he said.
Rep. Les Fossel (R-Alna) said the Maine Legislature is going to try to interpret what might happen if it is turned down. He himself expressed his uncertainty about the final outcome.
“I don’t know what is going to happen, but I’m very skeptical of the process,” he said.
Fossel also spoke about the unusual configuration of the RSU and how some people in Palermo, for instance, never heard of Westport Island.
All other articles passed with little or no discussion. The next to the last article received some attention regarding donations to non-profit organizations benefiting residents, and a question arose specifically about the requested $5713 for Wiscasset Public Library.
Wiscasset resident Dan Sortwell, a library trustee, spoke on behalf of the library, convincing voters to turn down an amendment to reduce the amount to $2400. He said patrons use the Internet during times of power outages, which a resident confirmed, and the library offers programs for children and provides a safe place for them after school.
Although no listing for the Maine Publicity Bureau appeared in the article as in past years, Roger Whitney made a motion to vote a zero amount for the bureau to honor the memory of Maynard Albee. It became a standing joke for Albee to oppose giving any money to the bureau, and Whitney did not want the meeting to close without it.
