On Saturday, May 3, Long Island held its annual town meeting. Mark Greene was unanimously elected to preside as moderator.
After an initial nomination of Warren Brayley for Selectman, which produced the immediate reply “My wife says I respectfully decline,” Thomas MacVane won the three-year seat with 56 votes to Bradley Brown’s 31.
Joe Oldfield gave an overview of the proposed 2003/04 budget, explaining the remaining “Portland debt,” the result of the arbitration agreement when Long Island succeeded from Portland in 1993. The debt will be paid in full by 2005 with three more annual payments of $84,000. The $1,002,640 budget passed with a sole amendment to raise the Community Center operating costs to $3,080.
Coleman “Dicky” Clarke, Town fire chief and road commissioner, gave an overview of Public Safety costs. He praised the dedication of the Long Island’s EMT service for a particularly harrowing Christmas night rescue. Clarke stressed the need for increased recycling, the current 14.9 percent rate being good but low. Choosing from options outlined by Clarke, the town approved the installation of a new wood-and-steel guardrail around the marsh.
After much discussion town members voted down an article that would have allowed owners of land abutting town property the right of first refusal to increase their lot to minimum code size, deciding instead to address the issue at a special town meeting should the need arise. Meanwhile, the article is being reviewed.
An unofficial town vote, taken by Tiny Murphy, declared fifth grader Melanie Floyd the winner of the 10-year anniversary town flag design contest. The flag will be unveiled at a July 1 celebration.