Steven Cowles (left) accepts the Spirit of America Award from Whitefield Select Board Chair Lester Sheaffer Jr. during the annual town meeting on Saturday, March 16. Steven Cowles and his wife, Julie Cowles, received the award for their volunteer work with Whitefield Library and fire department. (Johnathan Riley photo)
After a lengthy discussion, Whitefield voters authorized the allocation of the remaining funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 at the Saturday, March 16 annual town meeting.
Residents also dispatched with the 44-article warrant, which included a $1,874,426 municipal budget, an increase of $46,872 or 2.57%.
Whitefield residents will be tasked with raising $1,057,286 in taxes, an increase of $43,132 or 4.25%.
After receiving approval, the town’s remaining $35,750 of ARPA funds were divided as follows: $4,000 to purchase software to store and view Geographic Information System data created for the town’s tax map; $2,000 to purchase computer equipment to livestream the town’s meetings; $10,000 toward continued work on an accessible bathroom at Kings Mills Union Hall; $10,000 for the purchase of a generator for Whitefield Library.
According to town administrator and town clerk Yolanda Violette, ARPA funds need to be spent or allocated before Dec. 31, or else the funds will dissipate.
The total of the allocation is $26,000, leaving $9,750, which will need a special town meeting to be designated, according to Violette.
Whitefield Select Board members originally recommended that $30,000 of the funds be put toward an addition to the Cooper Mills fire station in order to house a satellite location of Delta Ambulance.
However, according to Whitefield Select Board Chair Lester Sheaffer Jr., representatives from Delta Ambulance recently postponed further discussions.
With the new information, Whitefield residents seemed uncertain as to whether they should allocate funds for an ambulance service that may not move forward, so they voted to allocate funds for various other projects in the town.
Included in the municipal budget were items that had differing support between the select board and the budget committee.
Voters approved a 3% wage stipend increase for the select board, recommended by the budget committee, an increase of $571 to $19,626.
Voters approved the budget committee recommended $591,570 for maintenance and repairs of town roads as opposed to the select board’s recommendation of $516,570. The $75,000 difference, according to Sheaffer, is for the repair of gravel roads in the town.
Residents also approved a $20,000 for the Whitefield Library as recommended by the select board.
The budget committee recommended $15,000. Charles “Chuck” Vaughan, a member of the budget committee, said that while the committee supported all the endeavors of the library, members were concerned with what the limits were to the increasing monetary requests.
Cheryle Joslyn, president of the library’s board of directors, said the request was to support paid positions at the library, and the library covers all other expenses through fundraising and donations.
Voters also enacted a subdivision ordinance that was amended in March to bring it into compliance with current state statutes.
The Spirit of America Award was presented to Whitefield residents Steven and Julie Cowles by Sheaffer on behalf of the town for their volunteer work with the library and fire department.
“Thank you, Julie and Steve, your service to the town of Whitefield is greatly appreciated,”
Steven Cowles received the award for the couple and said his wife was away in California “spoiling grandchildren,” but that she sent her regards and said “Be the neighbor you would want to have.”
The Spirit of America Award is given out by the Spirit of America Foundation for excellence in volunteer work within Maine municipalities.
Sheaffer was also honored at the beginning of the meeting for his 20 years of service to the town of Whitefield on the school committee and the select board. Violette presented Sheaffer with a card and wished him the best in his retirement, as he did not seek reelection this year.
“Enjoy your every other Tuesday off,” Violette said to laughter from the crowd.
Election results were announced at the annual town meeting after voting took place on Friday, March 15.
Brent Hallowell, a write-in candidate, was elected to a three-year term on the select board, receiving 36 votes.
Jennifer Grady was reelected to the planning board, receiving 82 votes. Daniel Burns, while not seeking reelection, was also elected to a three-year term on board through 13 write-in votes.
Violette said she hadn’t confirmed that Burns would accept the position.
Deborah Talacko was reelected to the RSU 12 Board of Directors with 25 votes.
Residents will vote on the RSU 12 education budget in a separate June referendum following a district-wide budget validation meeting in May. For more information about the education budget process, go to svrsu.org.
