Westport Island voters handily dispensed with 40 warrant articles in two hours at their annual town meeting in the Town Hall June 23.
The 50 citizens in attendance had time to take multiple coffee breaks to stretch their legs in the town’s shortest meeting in recent memory.
The two issues expected to raise concerns were new lights for the town office, and road maintenance.
Article 14 proposed raising and appropriating $4500 to upgrade the lighting in the Town Hall. Town Hall committee member Bill Cooney explained new lights would cost about $3000 and labor to install the new lights would cost approximately $1000.
“An electrical survey was done over a year ago. This improvement for the lights will significantly improve lighting in the hall, so people reading ballots can see,” said Cooney.
When asked why the budget committee had not recommended the upgrades to the lighting, budget chairman Dennis Dunbar said it had to do with the timing. Dunbar said he thought it would be wise to wait a few years until some of the town’s debt is paid off.
Selectman George Richardson said the selectmen had not taken a position on the lights but had decided “not to take money out of the reserve account.”
Mary Ellen Barnes of the town’s history committee seconded the sentiment that it was difficult to read in the Town Hall with the lights as they were. “It’s hard to see maps, and for the work of other committees, I would think new lighting is very important to have,” she said.
After discussion, voters amended Article 14 to appropriate $2500 from the town’s reserve account, and agreed to raise and appropriate $2000 to fund the article.
Article 30 asked the voters whether to raise and appropriate $100,000 for maintenance of Town Roads and Bridges. Road commissioner Garry Cromwell’s recommended the total amount. Dunbar said the budget committee’s recommendation of $85,000 was based on historical data from 2005 to 2010, plus an additional percentage for inflation.
One citizen reminded the voters during the 2011-2012 fiscal year, Westport Island raised and appropriated $100,000 for roads and bridges. When the commissioner was over budget, his company G&D Cromwell forgave some of the cost. In the end, the voters passed the article as written.
Voters also approved $102,774, the recommended amount, for snow removal and procurement of sand and salt.
Article 38 asked the voters to raise and appropriate $3000 for the Wiscasset Ambulance Service. Wiscasset’s Director of the Ambulance Service, Roland Abbott explained that each year there is a $60,000 funding gap for the ambulance service, so the service asks for $3000 from each town. The article passed with little debate.
Todd Souza, Wiscasset’s Director of Parks and Recreation, was also present to explain Article 39, Wiscasset’s $4308 request for Westport Island to participate in the Community Center’s “community partner program.” The amount that Wiscasset requests of Westport Island is based on the 2010 census and a calculation of $6 per resident. Westport Island has about 75 members in the community center now, said Souza. Article 39 passed as written.
In addition, voters approved amendments to the Westport Island Shoreland Zoning Ordinance. Amendments involved revisions made by the planning board to clarify some areas in the ordinance.
The voters also approved a 1.75 percent cost of living adjustment to the town officers’ salaries.
Overall, Westport Island First Selectman George Richardson thanked the voters present for being so “polite and courteous.” He said he wasn’t sure whether or not the mil rate would go up, but he expected it to stay about the same.
