Sunday, April 8, 2007
OGUNQUIT: Voters support ban on new hotel rooms
Residents, in a nonbinding vote at the annual town meeting, supported a change to the town's zoning and comprehensive plan to restrict the number of hotel rooms in town.
More than 500 people voted in the secret-ballot meeting, held all day Saturday at the Dunaway Community Center.
The proposed hotel-room ban was the result of a petition from hotel owner Phil Cavaretta.
The vote advises the selectmen, the town planner and the Planning Board to amend the comprehensive plan to allow no new hotel rooms in town.
Residents voted down an article that would have prohibited dogs in three parking lots near Ogunquit's beach in the summer.
In an election Saturday, incumbent John Abbott beat Herb Hoffman and Henry Hokans in a selectmen's race. Sue Pollard ran unopposed for re-election to the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District.
ISLE AU HAUT: Islanders pick plan
for refurbished dock
Island residents elected three selectmen and several other town officials at the March 26 town meeting.
Town Clerk Susan MacDonald said Belvia MacDonald, Steve Shaffer and Jason Barter were re-elected to one-year terms on the Board of Selectmen.
Lisa Turner will become the new tax collector; Ben MacDonald, the town treasurer, and Ellard Taylor, the fire chief.
MacDonald said voters selected a town dock design favored by the Town Dock Committee over one that was developed by Road Commissioner Bill Stevens. The dock, the islanders' lifeline to the mainland, needs to be refurbished.
There was discussion about an increase in education costs, but MacDonald said residents realize that most of those costs are out of their control.
With no island high school, residents must pay $60,000 a year to send five children to mainland schools. Those costs will increase again in the fall when a sixth student joins the high schoolers.
Sixty-one people live on Isle au Haut. About 40 residents attended the town meeting.
SOUTH THOMASTON: Junior firefighters, selectman voted in
Selectman Jeff Northgraves was re-elected to a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen at the March 27 town meeting, crushing write-in candidate Colin Grierson in a 70-2 vote.
About 75 residents attended the meeting, held in the Gilford B. Butler School, according to Town Clerk Barbara Black.
Voters also amended the Fire Department ordinance to allow junior firefighters - defined as someone between the ages of 16 and 17 - to join the town's volunteer Fire Department.
Nearly all of the 28 articles on the town meeting warrant were approved. An exception was one to accept Brookside Drive and Sawblade Road as town roads.
Questions/Comments
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Jake - Generally you would make generous campaign contributions to the appropriate politicians along with meals, trips and gifts. Then you file your petition and remind them of how big of a supporter you are.
I don't think such a system is unique to Ogunquit, I'd bet it works in Portland too!report abuse
How does that work in Ogunquit? Wish I could
petition a vote to eliminate my competitors'
from any growth.
report abuse
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