Town ballots decided in York and the Kennebunks: Here’s what got approved

YORK COUNTY, Maine — Voters in towns throughout the York County Coast Star coverage area weighed in on a number of issues on their municipal ballots during the election on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Kennebunk

There must have been a lot of happy police officers and firefighters in Kennebunk on Tuesday night. Thanks to voters, eligible employees in the Kennebunk police and fire rescue departments will be able to retire, at half pay, after 20 years of service.

According to unofficial results released by Town Clerk Merton Brown, voters approved a proposed change in the departments’ retirement plan by a vote of 4,081 to 2,373 during the municipal election on Tuesday.

The result is a positive turnaround from the annual town meeting in June, when voters rejected the very same proposal.

Police and fire administrators and union officials went back to the drawing board after that summer vote and determined that they had not done enough to educate the public about the change they were seeking. They launched a new campaign, meeting with town officials and local reporters to explain that the change in the retirement plan was needed for both the police and fire departments to be more successful in recruiting and retaining new employees.

The effort paid off with a decisive win for the proposal on Tuesday. Currently, under the town’s plan with the Maine Public Employees Retirement System, police and fire employees can retire, with half pay, after 25 years of service. The approving vote on Tuesday will bring Kennebunk’s police and fire departments in line with neighboring communities, whose plans allow first responders to retire, with half pay, after 20 years.

In general, voters in Kennebunk were in an approving mood on Tuesday, as most of the questions on the municipal ballot garnered decisive “yes” responses.

By a vote of 4,043 to 2,168, voters approved establishing a Charter Commission for the purpose of revising the current town charter. Adopted in 1984, the charter was last updated and approved in 2009, although there were a few minor amendments in the years that followed.

And with that affirmative vote for a Charter Commission, voters also elected six candidates out of the seven on the ballot to serve on it: Christopher Babbidge, Christian Babcock, Susan Bloomfield, Brenda Robinson, Stephen Sayers and Edward Trainer. John Costin was the seventh candidate who did not make the cut.

According to Brown, the Select Board will appoint three members to the commission, bringing its total membership to nine.

The vote on whether to increase the town’s property tax levy limit by an additional $2.5 million was the closest one, with a prevailing “yes” vote of 3,324 to 3,123.

By a vote of 4,449 to 1,994, voters agreed to appropriate $614,605 in American Rescue Plan funds to help continue the town’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Voters also authorized the Select Board by a vote of 5,227 to 1,195 to negotiate and enter into an agreement with another agency for providing dispatch and public safety answering point services for the town. Voters also accepted Lobster Lane as a town way, by a vote of 4,287 to 2,022, and authorized the Select Board to transfer a town-owned parcel to Garden Street Bowl, by a vote of 5,567 to 854.

Lastly, voters approved amendments in definitions in the town’s zoning ordinance, in this case with a vote of 4,906 to 1,281.

Kennebunkport

Voters in Kennebunkport also were in an approving mood during their special town meeting on Tuesday, overwhelmingly saying “yes” to all five questions on the municipal ballot.

By a tally of 1,798 to 472, voters accepted an updated version of the town’s Comprehensive Plan, according to official results announced by Town Clerk Tracey O’Roak on Wednesday morning. The plan, first adopted in 1996, has been updated seven times over the years – the last approved update was in 2011. The town uses the plan to guide its efforts to manage growth in the community.

Voters also approved, 1,338 to 939, a change to the town’s administrative code that removes the qualification that a town moderator be a registered voter of Kennebunkport. As well, the change includes identifying RSU 21 School Board directors as elected officials whom voters may remove from office, if they so choose.

By a vote of 1,884 to 372, voters approved a clarification of the definitions of “commercial fishing” and a “commercial vessel” in the town’s Kennebunk River Ordinance.

Voters also OK’d an amendment to the Shellfish Conservation Ordinance that will require those seeking a shellfish license to appear in person at the town clerk’s office – the tally came in at 2,045 to 280. The amendment also will clarify that diggers under the age of 12 can dig without their own license if accompanied by an adult who has one.

Lastly, by a vote of 1,489 to 771, voters approved revising the way residential rental accommodations – roomers – are reviewed, approved and denied.

Sanford

Five questions on Sanford’s municipal ballot all sailed through to approval on Tuesday, according to results released by City Clerk Sue Cote.

Question 1 asked voters if the city should authorize the treasurer and the mayor to issue general obligation securities, in a principal amount of up to $1 million, for capital projects, such as demolition, environmental cleaning, construction of parking and more, at the site of the International Woolen Mill and its surroundings. Voters said “yes,” 4,577 to 2,647. As a result, the $1 million can be used as matching funds for the projects.

By a vote of 3,927 to 3,244, voters also approved increasing the city manager’s power of appointment, extending them to include the position of city assessor, with City Council approval.

Voters also OK’d a number of budgetary amendments to the city charter, by a tally of 3,786 to 3,429. As a result, the city’s Budget Committee will be eliminated and the review of municipal and school budgets will be entirely in the city council’s hands. Also as a result, voters once again will be responsible for approving the Sanford School Department’s budget during a validation in June. For years now, such approval has been the City Council’s responsibility.

Sanford voters also approved increasing from $250,000 to $1 million the amount in emergency appropriations the city may make in matters concerning the health, safety and welfare of the community. The vote on that proposal came in at 4,057 to 3,266.

Voters also approved increasing the City Council’s bonding authority to $1 million, by a vote of 3,777 to 3,495. As well, by a count of 4,346 to 2,873, voters went with a proposal to require four votes in the affirmative on all Sanford Planning Board actions.

Wells

Voters in Wells had just one issue on their municipal ballot: resolving a potential conflict between state statute and the town’s ordinance for mobile home parks. This they did, by a prevailing “yes” vote of 966 to 738.

State law sets restrictions on the density that a town can require for a mobile home park. To date, the ordinances in Wells have addressed standards for new mobile home parks that are approved by the Planning Board and for existing mobile home park expansions. However, the town ordinances do not currently address standards applying to existing, unapproved, grandfathered mobile home parks.

“This becomes an issue if a grandfathered park may want to move units, make other site improvements, adjust lot lines, or further subdivide the property,” the town explained on its website, ahead of the vote on Nov. 8.

The owner of a grandfathered mobile home park brought this potential conflict to the town’s attention, setting this single ballot issue in motion.

The now-approved changes in the ordinance affect only three existing, grandfathered parks, according to the town. Mobile home parks in town that the Planning Board has approved would not be impacted by a change on Tuesday. Changes will not affect campgrounds or parks for tents and recreational vehicles, as well.

York

Voters on Tuesday elected Julie Littlefield to the York Budget Committee – not a surprise, given that she was the only candidate who sought the post on the ballot. Littlefield collected 5,781 votes, according to results posted on the town's website.

Voters also approved adopting the town’s 2022 Comprehensive Plan, saying “yes” to the document with a tally of 5,499 to 1,374.

A proposal to allow outdoor dining at York restaurants also passed handily, 6,910 to 632.

Voters also agreed to amend the town’s Emergency Management Ordinance to incorporate some gender-neutral language and other measures. That affirmative vote came in at 5,816.

Lastly, voters accepted three roads in town: Johnny’s Way, Turner Drive, and Madeline Lane.

Ogunquit

Voters in Ogunquit rejected only one of the 11 articles they addressed on their municipal ballots during the election on Tuesday, Nov. 8, according to unofficial results released by Town Clerk Chris Murphy.

By a “no” vote of 506-424, voters passed on approving $150,000 from the town’s unassigned fund balance for pre-construction costs associated with expanding and upgrading the Police Department headquarters in the lower level of the Dunaway Center on School Street.

Voters approved all the other articles on the local ballot. As a result, 724 Main Street will be rezoned to make way for 40 housing units for adults ages 55 and older. As well, the following funds will be taken from the unassigned fund balance: $25,000 for the town’s Building Improvement Reserve Account; $50,000 for IT upgrades; $40,000 for the Perkins Cove Bridge Repairs Reserve Account; $10,000 for the Public Works Equipment Reserve Account; and $85,000 for the Perkins Cove Bridge Design Project.

Voters also approved an article seeking to create a 2022 Police Equipment Reserve Account, with an appropriation of $85,000, and a 2022 PFAS Testing Project, with an appropriation of $50,000 to get it started. Voters also agreed to reclassify the town’s 2021 Fire Truck Reserve Account as the 2021 Fire Truck and Equipment Reserve Account.

In all, 948 ballots were cast, according to Murphy.

Arundel

By comfortable margins, voters in Arundel approved numerous tweaks to the town charter, including changing language to make it more gender-neutral, during the election on Tuesday, Nov. 8, according to unofficial results released by the town clerk’s office.

A total of 2,310 ballots were cast in the election.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Town ballots decided in York and the Kennebunks: Here’s what got approved