Former Westport Island Select Board member Jack Swanton is all smiles after checking in with the town’s municipal agent Deedee Greenleaf Hodgdon and town treasurer Ashley Murray, Hodgdon has been checking voters in to Westport Island town meetings for 33 years. Shown from left: Swanton, Hodgdon, and Murray. (Charlotte Boynton photo)
Westport Island voters needed just over two hours to dispatch a 66 article warrant during their annual town meeting, held in the historic town hall Saturday, June 21.
Approving every article, island residents authorized a $3,066,929 municipal budget, accepting of $297,977 or 10% increase from the previous year.
An article asking if the town would vote to lease the Wright House to the Friends of Westport Island History for a term of 99 years generated the bulk of debate at the meeting. Taking up the article, Richard Barker motioned to amend the lease to one year instead of 99 years. When Barker’s motion received a second, moderator Chris Cooper said he would allow the amendment with some concern.
“Although it does not change the purpose of the article to lease the house, it does change it dramatically,” Cooper said. “I will allow it, but it is very close to not being allowable.”
Several residents spoke in opposition to the amendment. The voters gave permission for a non-resident to speak to allow Friends of Westport Island History member Ken Swanton to address the body.
Swanton said the Friends have already spent $28,000 on the building for needed repairs, pointing out taxpayers would save money as the Friends would pay for all annual bills and maintenance.
After further discussion Barker’s amendment failed and the article was passed as written.
Approval of the lease affected several subsequent articles related to the Wright House property. The select board recommended two different figures for each article; a lower figure in the event the lease was approved and a higher figure if not.
Voters agreed to raise and appropriate $2,500 for the annual operation and maintenance of the Wright House and Ferry Landing, instead of the $9,500 alternative, and agreed to raise and appropriate $0 for the Wright House and Ferry Landing capital reserve fund, as opposed to the $25,000 recommended had the lease been rejected.
Among the larger financial articles, voters agreed to raise and appropriate $244,225 for compensation, health insurance, and payroll taxes, $65,000 for town office administration, $30,000 for the legal fund, $15,000 for contingent expenses, and $24,000 to fund an assessors’ agent contract for 2025-2026.
Westport Island residents voted to allow non-resident Paul Keefner to speak during their annual town meeting Saturday, June 21. (Charlotte Boynton photo)
The latter article, 16, authorized the select board to seek bids and accept an offer for an assessors’ agent for a three-year term for fiscal years 2027, 2028, and 2029. During discussion Westport Island resident Gary Richardson unsuccessfully motioned to amend the article to remove the words “accept an offer,” expressing concern the language would allow the select board to commit the town for three years.
By a more than two-thirds majority, voters approved a motion to allow non-resident Paul Keefner to address the meeting. Keefner, a Westport Island landowner but not a resident, asked how the process for approval would work in future years. Members of the select board said the question for funding would come before the voters each year for approval.
When the vote was called, the amendment failed overwhelmingly and the article was approved as printed.
Approving article 22, voters agreed to raise and appropriate $15,000 for the town office building capital reserve, accepting one of the largest single increases in the budget by percentage, rising $14,200 or 1,875%. Select Board Member Kim Lynch explained the increase was needed for maintenance on the building.
Voters also authorized the transfer of a total of $30,000 to the town hall capital reserve fund. The funds were appropriated in 2024 for the purpose of installing an ADA compliant bathroom and ramp in the historic town hall.
In the following article, No. 27, residents agreed to raise and appropriate $50,000 for the same fund.
The voters approved the roads articles with no discussion and followed the votes with a round of applause for Road Commissioner James Cromwell.
Voters agreed to raise and appropriate $325,000 to fund the rest of the phase 3 long term paving program; $150,000 for town roads and bridges; $25,000 for the paving capital improvement reserve fund; $38,000 for procurement of sand and salt; and $177,060 for snow removal.
The voters agreed to create a new causeway maintenance capital reserve fund, as recommended by Cromwell and the select board, funding it with $25,000 to be used for repairs and matching grant funds, not to exceed $5,000 without town meeting approval.
The three public safety items were approved without discussion. Voters approved $95,000 for the Westport Volunteer Fire Department’s operating expenses, training, and member stipends, $35,000 for the fire department capital improvement reserve account, and $15,000 for coverage of the fire department members by Maine Municipal Association for Workers Compensation, Property and Casualty Insurance and Firefighter Blanket Accident Insurance.
The voters approved Westport Island’s share of the Wiscasset Transfer Station operating cost of $126,415 and $29,179 for the Wiscasset Ambulance Service.
Among other results, Westport Island residents approved the four ordinance articles put before them, amending the building code and shoreland ordinances to move property located on the North End Road into to the commercial fisheries and maritime zone; Article 63 amended the building code ordinance; Article 64 amended the shoreland zoning ordinance; and Article 65 amended the subdivision ordinance creating a minimum turnaround diameter of 40 feet to allow safe passage of fire trucks and other emergency vehicles.
(Sherwood Olin contributed to this article.)
