Sometimes, selectmen’s races have the potential to divide communities and leave bitterness among residents. That was not the case on Chebeague Island this year in an easygoing race that lacked campaign signs and contentiousness.
The incumbent, Donna Damon, and the challenger, David Hill, were nominated by Michael Porter and Deborah Bowman respectively. A vote was immediately called, and Damon was re-elected (66-29) and immediately sworn in to a three-year term. At a later point, Hill congratulated her on the hard fought campaign amid laughter by meeting attendees.
The race was just one part of Chebeague’s second Town Meeting held since the island became independent last July. Voters gathered June 7 to consider 39 articles.
Beverly Johnson was nominated unopposed to be re-elected to the school committee for a three-year term.
The voters considered and ultimately approved a change to the town’s Coastal Waters Ordinance. The change removes the enforcement of parking rules in the area around the stone wharf from this ordinance, provided the town creates a separate parking ordinance. There was some concern over the viability of having an effective replacement for parking enforcement in the extremely congested Stone Wharf area. Hill proposed an amendment stating that the new parking ordinance would also come before the town meeting, which passed.
The majority of articles concerning the town and school budget were approved with little discussion. Selectman Damon requested an additional $1,000 be raised under the health care section of the budget, to increase home health care services. Resident Jim Phipps and others voiced concern that it was inadvisable for the selectmen to set a precedent of changes to the town budget that did not go through the budget process of the last few months. Damon replied that she felt this was an important issue that she had only very recently become aware of. The motion passed, 48-29.
During discussion of the cemetery committee’s budget, Selectmen Leon Hamilton asked for an explanation of the $9,000 requested. Cemetery committee member Diane Calder replied that $5,000 of it was for general expenses, and $4,000 for the purchase of a new lawnmower, as the current one is 13 years old and no longer worked well. Hamilton thanked her. “I just wanted the voters to be aware that we are finally getting a new lawnmower!”
While discussing capital improvements section of the budget, questions were asked as to whether there would be any work done on repaving town roads as conditions are very poor on certain sections of road, especially in the winter. Interim town administrator and road commissioner Scott Seaver replied that due to the significant expense, no work would be done on repaving at this time, but that a study will be underway. Many sections of town road have deteriorated to such a state as to require rebuilding and not simply repaving, adding considerably to the cost.
At the end of the meeting, the selectmen took the opportunity to introduce Seaver to the citizens of Chebeague. Seaver, recently retired from the position of Town Administrator of North Yarmouth, accepted the position this spring after the departure of Ron Grenier. Seaver was greeted with applause.
The meeting adjourned at exactly noon.
Thea Youngs is an Island Institute Fellow on Chebeague.