Convening in the Town Office March 4, Southport’s annual town meeting demonstrated its usual good cheer, while dispatching a 66-article warrant in just under three hours.
Voters approved every budget item as proposed, granting themselves, as Selectman Gerry Gamage suggested at the start of the meeting, a slight tax cut.
As approved, Southport’s total tax commitment will be $2,262,227, creating a slight decrease in the mil rate, falling to .03055, or $3.051/2 per $1000.
The bulk of discussion centered on four articles, two that amended the town’s land use ordinance and two that amended the town’s by-laws.
In the latter case, voters approved an amendment allowing the sale of beer and wine on town property. During deliberation, voters rejected an amendment to the article that would have restricted the sale of beer and wine on town property to only after 5 p.m.
In a related article, voters approved extending the hours of operation for Oliver’s restaurant to 9 p.m. Oliver’s is situated on the town’s Cozy Harbor Wharf.
In another article of note, voters approved an elder housing amendment to the town’s land use ordinance. The amendment allows denser housing on lots serviced year ’round by the municipal water supply.
Resident Fred Jewett told the audience the amendment arose out of a discussion with his wife. The couple is committed to staying on the Southport and are concerned about maintaining their current residence as they age, Jewett said. He owns about 30 elderly housing rental units so he is familiar with the needs of such tenants, he said.
“The intent is to have a small, compact, efficient (from an energy standpoint), cottage arrangement, low maintenance; that doesn’t take a lot of effort for upkeep and care,” Jewett said. “The intent is to create a cluster housing.”
Voters also amended the land use ordinance to reduce the mandatory setback from town roads to 25 feet.
Residents approved all school funding articles as proposed, totaling $998,684. AOS 98 Superintendent Eileen King told the audience the school budget was essentially flat funded from 2012, except for a roughly $40,000 ($35,812) increase in special education costs.
In municipal voting earlier in the day, voters reelected Smith Climo to the Southport Board of Selectmen, Assessors and Overseers of the Poor. Kathy Tibbetts was reelected to the Southport School Committee, Donna Climo was reelected Town Clerk and Gamage was elected to represent the town on the Boothbay Harbor Water District Board of Trustees. All candidates were elected for a three year terms.
During the meeting, via a written straw poll, voters overwhelmingly expressed support for the efforts of the St. Andrews Task Force to keep the Boothbay Harbor hospital open.
