For the next six months, at least, this country town will remain free of cell phone towers. Also by vote at Saturday's 180th annual town meeting, residents have elected a town clerk for the last time.

A cell phone moratorium and a vote to appoint, rather than elect, a town clerk both generated considerable conversation before the dinner break at the Seven Star Grange. Residents also voted to override the state limit on the municipal budget's growth, even though the spending articles on the warrant were slightly within those confines.

The Planning Board requested the tower moratorium in order to study and fine-tune restrictions imposed in the town's 10-year-old ordinance.

Moderator Greg Rossel, chairman of the comprehensive planning committee, temporarily recused himself from that role ‹ in favor of Paul Moody ‹ in order to explain the moratorium. Much has changed since the ordinance was enacted in 1998, Rossel said, and planners want to look at updated models.

Former Selectwoman Jennifer Wixson, who circulated a petition to include the ordinance revocation on the warrant, noted that only one company, last August, has approached the town to build a tower.

"No one wants to build one now, so there's no great threat," Wixson said.

Planning Board member Judith Rock said the board will strive to have an updated ordinance ready within six months.

The Planning Board will get no help from the town in terms of a token stipend while it takes on the added load. Despite Rock's plea, residents voted against an article to pay the board $2,000 for its efforts.

"My feeling is that if we are going to pay volunteers, we better put our firefighters as the head of the list," Selectwoman Frederica Fuller said.

In Friday's elections, incumbent Kathleen Mattingly defeated Frank Keithan, 90-44, for a seat on the Board of Selectmen. Karen Carlson was unopposed in School Administrative District 3 and Brett Irving was unopposed as trustee to the forest area.

­ Blethen Maine News Service