Wiscasset residents cast their votes in the election and the town’s special meeting by referendum on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at the Wiscasset Community Center. (Piper Pavelich photo)
In a special town meeting by referendum that gathered over 2,300 ballots, Wiscasset voters approved the relocation of the town’s wastewater treatment plant.
A total of 2,375 voters cast their ballots from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at the Wiscasset Community Center, passing the relocation 1,416-832. One hundred and twenty-eight voters left the question blank.
The town has been considering relocating the wastewater treatment plant since 2023, working alongside William Olver, president and senior managing partner of Olver Associates Inc., to analyze the costs associated with different sites around town.
Select board members chose the current public works site because the town would be “getting more bang for its buck,” said Town Manager Dennis Simmons during a July 30 board meeting.
At a cost of $51,150,000, the town will relocate its wastewater treatment plant to the public works site on Hodge Street and build a new public works site and salt shed on a parcel of land near the transfer station on Fowle Hill Road.
Of that total, $4 million will be devoted to building a new public works building and salt shed.
“If you’re going to spend $50 million to get a new wastewater treatment plant, or you can spend $50 million to get a new wastewater treatment plant and a public works building, it’s kind of a no-brainer,” said select board member Pam Dunning during the July 30 meeting.
The development of a new wastewater treatment plant is estimated to cost $39 million, according to documentation provided to the town by Olver.
Simmons said voter approval of the wastewater treatment plant relocation will open up more opportunities for the town to pursue grant funding for the project. Voters will be consulted multiple times throughout the process, said Simmons, as their approval is needed to appropriate funds.
Voters also approved changing the retirement plan for the town’s police officers 1,501-694 at the Nov. 5 town meeting by referendum.
Simmons said the new police department union contract asked that the town approve a change in the retirement plans. Town employee retirement plans are through the Maine Public Employee Retirement System.
The current plan allows officers to retire after 25 years of service and receive half of the average of their three highest years of wages.
During labor contract negotiations, the union requested to switch to a new plan to align with most other towns and counties in the region, according to wiscasset.org. The now approved plan offers employees two-thirds of the average of their three highest years of wages instead of half, but requires a higher contribution rate.
For the town, switching plans means a 1% increase in the employer contribution rate – from 11.8% to 12.8% – resulting in an additional $4,200 in contributions. The union agreed to offset most of the increase by raising its share of the town’s health insurance premium from 15% to 20%, covering all but $470 of the additional cost.
Effective Dec. 1, the town will provide the new plan to its police officers who regularly work 1,000 hours or more per year for service rendered after Saturday, Nov. 30.
Voters rejected amendments to two ordinances that would have allowed nonresidents to serve and vote on committees and boards in Wiscasset.
The town began considering this action because of the Wiscasset Municipal Airport Advisory Committee’s goal of attaining voting privileges for member Steve Williams, of Georgetown, who is a taxpayer in Wiscasset, said Simmons.
The town currently bars nonresidents from serving on the board of appeals and budget committee, and allows the airport and waterfront committees one nonresident, nonvoting member. Additionally the planning board can have one nonresident with voting privileges.
The warrant articles proposed pulling language from the town officials ordinance and port and harbor ordinance so that nonresidents could serve and vote on these committees and board. According to Simmons, the Maine Municipal Association advised him that local residency requirements are not enforceable; therefore, barring any member from voting could result in legal action against the town.
Voters rejected the town officials ordinance amendments 1,148-837 and the port and harbor ordinance amendments 1,056-943.
The last question voters considered on the special town meeting warrant asked for approval for the town’s treasurer to waive foreclosures, which voters gave 1,399-782.
Last year, the town was forced to dispose of two mobile homes because tax liens automatically foreclosed them, according to Simmons. The town did not receive the taxes they were owed and had to pay to dispose of the mobile homes, as they were on rented lots. Simmons said the only way to stop foreclosures is for voters to authorize a waiver.
This article will appear on future annual town meeting warrants as a “housekeeping” item, said Simmons.
