Convening their annual town meeting at the town hall March 2, Southport voters needed just under two hours to dispatch a 66-article warrant, including a 10-minute recess for refreshments and a secret ballot vote.
The longest debate of the evening centered around the proposal to amend the town’s bylaws to allow Oliver’s at Cozy Harbor Wharf to serve hard liquor along with beer and wine.
Southport last amended its bylaws to allow the privately owned restaurant to sell beer and wine on the town-owned wharf. Several residents expressed displeasure with the piecemeal aspect to the agreement.
Resident Sue Grimes said if Oliver’s ownership had been upfront with the town about their plans from the beginning, they likely would not have received approval to open a restaurant at the location.
“First they wanted food, then they wanted beer and wine,” Sue Grimes said. “Now they want liquor. What next?”
Oliver’s executive chef and manager John Reed spoke in favor of the amendment. Reed said the business did not want to be a drinking establishment.
“We see your concerns,” Reed said. “We do not want to become a bar. We would just like to offer our guests a few selected drinks to enhance their experience.”
After residents agreed to move the question, a secret ballot vote overwhelmingly settled the question, 48-10 against.
In another article of note, Selectman Gerry Gamage apparently surprised the assembly when he moved to amend an article seeking to raise money for fire protection from the $3,000 recommended by the town’s budget committee to $35,000.
Gamage explained the selectmen included the budget figure in the article to get the public’s attention. Since no one noticed it, Gamage said, they had to do something a little more dramatic.
Gamage said the increase was needed in anticipation of what will become an annual $72,000 to $75,000 bill from the Boothbay Harbor Water District, beginning in 2016, due to infrastructure improvements undertaken by the district.
Fire protection is regulated by the Public Utilities Commission, Gamage said, and Southporters had little choice in the matter. The article passed without serious opposition.
In separate articles, voters approved a $31,900 budget for the fire department and a $30,000 appropriation for the fire truck fund.
In other business, voters approved a $993,445 school budget as presented. The total is a $115,621 increase from the current year. Within the school budget, the largest two areas of increase were in special education, up $17,934, and tuition, up $90,012, to a $338,073 total.
Voters also agreed to set aside $25,000 for a future revaluation. Currently Southport is at 100 percent sales to assessed value, but that information, from the state, is about 2 years old, Gamage said.
When the time comes, the town will likely go out to bid for the work, Gamage said.
Other money articles largely passed as written, including $285,975 for public works.
Voters also approved minor amendments to the town’s land use ordinance and floodplain management regulations.
In polling results from earlier in the day, voters re-elected Mary Lou Koskella to the board of selectmen, assessors, and overseers of the poor with 43 votes. Gamage was re-elected Southport fire chief with 41 votes. Adam E. Harkins was re-elected to the school committee and Donna Climo was re-elected town clerk, both with 45 votes.
All races were unopposed and all seats were for three-year terms.
