Kennebunkport voters OK millions in federal funds to reconstruct Cape Porpoise Pier
KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine — A single article sailed through a special town meeting Thursday, Sept. 22, paving the way for Kennebunkport to receive $2.1 million in federal funds for the reconstruction of the Cape Porpoise Pier.
Specifically, the article sought to authorize the Kennebunkport Select Board to execute a 20-year, first-priority mortgage lien on the pier.
“The warrant article passed by a strong majority,” Town Clerk Tracey O’Roak said on Friday morning.
Only six of the 134 voters present went against the article, O’Roak added.
The favorable vote was needed to meet the requirement of a grant that the federal Economic Development Administration awarded the town earlier this year, according to Town Manager Laurie Smith. A “no” vote would have meant no funds.
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The EDA is requiring the mortgage lien to ensure its investment will not be sold or transferred without notification, according to town documents.
On Thursday, Smith said the design for the reconstruction has been submitted for permitting and EDA approval.
"Those reviews are necessary before the final design can be put out to bid," she said.
Smith called the favorable special town meeting result a "huge vote of support for our commercial fishing industry" and allows the town to move forward with the replacement of a vital piece of town infrastructure.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced in May the EDA would be awarding the grant to Kennebunkport to support the region’s commercial fishing industry and ensure its resilience to storms and floods.
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The funds will be used to renovate the existing pier, replace the bait building there, upgrade the fuel system on site, and add a float system to accommodate use of the harbor.
The pier was last repaired nearly 30 years ago, or longer. In May, then-Harbormaster Chris Mayo said the timber-framed pier is in good shape but needs re-decking. He said the bait building needs replacing because it is old and inefficient – the seawall underneath it, for example, is failing and has had an emergency repair.
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E. Russell Grady served as moderator of the meeting. With voter approval, Smith and other municipal staff members were given permission to speak, according to the draft minutes of the proceedings. After Select Board Chair Ed Hutchins provided some background to the article, Mike Claus, a consultant for the town, spoke about the grant and the design process for the project.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Cape Porpoise Pier: Kennebunkport voters approve millions for upgrades
