Camden approves $8.35 million budget at well-attended annual Town Meeting
CAMDEN — The lower level of the Camden Opera House had just three or four dozen open seats during the annual Town Meeting June 14, and despite the high number of voters, the town’s business moved quickly with little discussion and everything receiving near-unanimous support by voters.
Deborah Dodge was Wednesday night’s town meeting moderator, and presiding at the table on the stage were town attorney Bill Kelly, Select Board member Don White, chairman John French, member Marc Ratner and acting town manager Roberta Smith. Absent was Select Board member Jim Heard, whose did not seek re-election to the board.
Following the general election the day before, June 13, voters elected Alison McKellar and Robert Falciani to the two open three-year terms on the board, while Jenna Lookner was elected to serve the remainder of her father’s term on the board, one year, following his unexpected death earlier this year. McKellar and Falciani beat incumbent White and Christian Wincklhofer, while Lookner earned more votes than her running mate, Steven Beveridge.
Camden voters approved the new Camden-Rockport Middle School bond, as did Rockport, as well as both school budgets and the revised 2017 Comprehensive Plan. On the Non-Binding Referendum pertaining to the sale and use of marijuana in town, voters indicated they were in favor of allowing retail sales of marijuana and wanted ordinances governing where it could be sold commercially and used smoked, but that they did not support the retail sale of marijuana in social smoking clubs such as bar rooms, taverns, pubs and restaurants.
Moving to the floor vote questions, voters approved an amendment to the Harbor and Waterway Ordinance, which would permit the extension of the Lyman Morse existing float system in the outer harbor. Voters also approved Articles 5 and 6, with Article 5 needing to to pass in order for Article 6 to be voted on. Both articles also needed to pass.
Articles 5 and 6 pertain to the proposed development of the American Boathouse on Atlantic Avenue at the head of the harbor. The property is now owned by Cynthia L. Reed, who has been working toward to allow the redevelopment to include residential use at street level. The American Boathouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and had been sitting vacant for a number of years.
In the rehabilitation agreement with the town, the exterior of the building cannot change in any manner that would jeopardize its status on the National Register of Historic Places. Select Board member Marc Ratner praised the Reeds for “working to preserve the waterfront” by preserving an historic building, and praised the town committee that crafted the “best amendment possible.”
The Reeds, who are also building a home on Dillingham Point, have indicated they plan to use the American Boathouse as an overflow residence for family and guests visiting the area.
Article 7 asked voters to authorize and direct the Select Board and/or authorized designee to exercise a “put option” to require Penobscot Energy Recovery Company to repurchase the town’s limited partnership interest in PERC stock. The value of the stock is $1,500,000, but Camden’s share, as one of the municipal members of the limited partnership, is around $72,000, according to chairman French. The article passed.
Article 8 asked voters to transfer the money received for its equity interest in PERC to the Mid-Coast Solid Waste Corporation Jacobs Quarry Closure Reserve, to eventually be used in meeting state closure requirements of the Jacobs Quarry Demolition Landfill in Rockport. This article also passed.
Articles 9 and 10 were deed easements, which both passed. Article 11 set the due dates for taxes, and Article 12 was to see if the voters would authorize the Select Board and Treasurer, on behalf of the town, to apply for and accept grants, gifts, real estate and other funds, including trust funds, that may be given or left to the town. These articles also passed unanimously.
Article 13 pertained to the disposal of tax acquired property, which includes special language and rules for how to deal with the former Apollo Tannery property on Washington Street. Instead of saying that the Select Board would be authorized to dispose of property in any manner it deems in the best interest of the town, “provided however that the Apollo Tannery property ...shall be disposed of subject to the requirements of Article 10 of the Town Warrant from the Annual Town Meeting held June 10, 2008.”, Camden resident Stephen Gold proposed an amendment to change “provided however” to “except” and add at the end, “...June 10, 20008, and also the Apollo Tannery Property can only be disposed of by town meeting vote.”
Gold said it is the “opinion of many” that the tannery property is a big asset, and to leave the decision to five people is a large burden and it should be decided by the full town, as the same article was amended and passed in 2016.
Roger Moody, chairman of the Tannery Committee, said he has worked with others for several years to develop another use plan besides selling it.
“My question is, at what point does the town recognize the report and the findings?” said Moody.
French responded, and said there is still one-third of the property available for commercial or educational purposes.
“The Board has done a good job to be sensitive to the community’s requests about the property,” said French.
White said that as liaison to the Tannery Committee, it was his understanding that Phase 1 was to create the space for the Farmers Market, Phase 2 was to develop a playground, and that Phase 3 was to move on commercial development. He added that with Gold’s amendment, voters were protected if the Select Board came forward and wanted to move on Phase 3.
“There is no intent or plan to sell the entire property and do away with the Farmers Market and the playground,” said White.
Attorney Kelly said that until the plan is adopted as a warrant article, it does not trump what was adopted in 2008.
Ray Andresen, chair of the Parks and Rec Committee, encouraged that the amendment be passed, noting that three new Select Board members were coming on board, “but we could have the same thing happen in a year if this is not passed.”
Tom Ressick, a neighbor and also member of the Tannery Committee and Neighborhood Friends group, said that it’s his hope that if a building goes on the site it’s a community building, and if it’s an outside party, that they be given a lease and not sold a portion of the parcel.
Gold spoke again, calling the tannery property a “work in process.”
“The Farmers Market is a fabulous success, and Rockport tried to steal our Farmers Market and passing this shows our support. This amendment lets the work in process continue without the threat [of being sold as one parcel],” said Gold.
When the vote was called, the amendment was approved, and then the vote to approve the amended Article 13 passed unanimously as well.
The next five articles also passed with little or no fanfare, and then it was time for the budget.
During the budget process, there had been discussions over various lines and what to include or cut from them, but in the end, both the Budget Committee and the Select Board came to agreement on a final number: $8,353,019.
Before moving to vote on the seven expenditure lines, A through G, Ratner talked about some of the bigger issues up for debate, and also praised the hard work that went into coming up with a budget that, even though it was “a little higher than anybody likes, but for good reason.”
As he saw it, Ratner said he was recommending the voters approve the Select Board’s recommendations for three reasons:
1. They included a new full-time position for the fire department. Ratner said it’s increasingly hard to find people available to respond, and when there’s a call, you want to make sure your town can responded the fastest. He also said that the firefighters have agreed to do code enforcement work, which would save the town about $21,000.
2. The health insurance cost for town employees that was once at $30,000 was not at $7,600, which Ratner said was much more reasonable.
3. Ratner said that the interim town manager had to make some tough decisions and say “no” to a lot of requests by department heads to keep spending down. “She had to say ‘yes’ to properly fund surplus, which had gotten too low, and needed to fix that. Surplus also provides the cash flow we need to have on hand for a variety of reasons.”
As Dodge then began moving through the seven lines, including General Government (French made a motion to approve the Select Board’s recommendation of $1,883,295), Public Safety (Select Board’s recommendation of $2,224,996), Highways, Streets and Bridges (Select Board’s recommendation of $1,494,450), Health and Welfare (Budget Committee’s and Select Board’s recommendation of $29,200), Leisure Services (Select Board’s recommendation of $1,063,740), Cemeteries (Select Board’s recommendation of $97,900) and Debt/Capital/Contingency (Select Board’s recommendation of $1,559,638) — all the lines passed unanimously with no discussion.
The total budget, $8,353,019, as recommended by both the Budget Committee and Select Board, also passed unanimously Wednesday night.
Related stories:
• Camden voters show support for regulated marijuana use and retail sales in town
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