By Michelle Switzer
South Bristol Selectmen Chester Rice (left), Chris Plummer (center), and Ken Lincoln, sit on stage during the town’s annual town meeting. (Michelle Switzer photo) |
South Bristol’s town meeting warrant had 42 articles, but voters only needed an hour and a half to make decisions for the town’s 2015 year.
Moderated by Jim Gallagher, the town meeting started promptly at 7 p.m. and ended just before 8:30 p.m.
The meeting included a 10-minute intermission and time for a ballot vote to authorize the town to exceed mandated Essential Programs and Services limit.
Results of the March 9 voting were read aloud. Ken Lincoln was re-elected to the South Bristol Board of Selectmen and Tenley Seiders and Sara Mitchell were elected to the South Bristol School Committee.
Very few articles stirred discussion among voters.
Article 10, which was on the warrant as a result of a citizen’s petition, would direct the selectmen to prepare a fireworks ordinance to be presented to the town at a future date.
Resident Ken Maguire was against such an ordinance. “Three years ago, the town voted against allowing any ordinance that would control activities of the town,” Maguire said.
Chairman of the Board of Selectmen Ken Lincoln said there are state laws on the books that are just as enforceable as a town ordinance would be. The town voted against directing the selectmen to prepare such an ordinance.
Peter MacCready was re-elected to the South Bristol Budget Committee for a five-year term.
Article 23, which listed the potential donations to area service providers, was amended to eliminate any donation to the Pemaquid Watershed Association. The PWA requested $1,000, and in an earlier meeting, the budget committee and selectmen approved a $500 donation.
Tenley Seiders requested a $0 donation, as South Bristol is not in the PWA area. The amendment was approved. Pemaquid Watershed Association officials were not immediately available for comment.
Resident Terry Mitchell proposed amending the appropriation amount to Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service Inc. from $6,600 to the original request of $8,800.
Selectman Chris Plummer said the budget committee and selectmen lowered the donation amount to make it equal among the six towns covered by the ambulance service.
“The original amount was requested based on state valuation,” Plummer said. “We lowered it to make it an equal share.”
The amendment failed. The final approved amount for donations was $29,421.
The 10 articles on the warrant for the education budget were approved with no discussion.
The amounts for the education budget categories are $875,700 for regular instruction, $181,946 for special education, $4,279 for career and technical education, $40,359 for other instruction, $130,177 for student and staff support, $36,799 for system administration, $170,495 for school administration, $89,363 for transportation and buses, $138,102 for facilities maintenance, and $9,153 for other expenditures.
The total approved school budget was $1,676,373. The budget for the 2014-15 year totaled $1,620,316. The 2015-’16 budget shows a $56,058 or 3.46 percent increase.
The town approved raising $3,491 for the school’s food service program, and $3,261 for adult education.
