BY DAVID WALSH
One hundred ten residents handled Penobscot’s annual business at town meeting March 2 in two and three-quarters hours. They approved a $1,439,594 school budget, applauded the appropriation for the final payment on the town’s new firehouse, approved two tower moratoria, and spent considerable time discussing support of the Blue Hill Public Library.
Seventy-four voters participated in Monday’s elections and returned to office selectman Paul Bowen, 68 votes; town clerk Mary Ellen “Cupe” Gross, 73; and school board member Karrie Prescott, 62. Dr. Jody Norton was elected to the school board with 62 votes.
A one-year term for the school board, and two three-year terms for the finance committee had no candidates running and will have to be filled by appointments.
Articles 6 through 22 were all related to the Penobscot Community School budget. This year the school board and the finance committee were in agreement on all articles, which were passed with the minimum of discussion.
Articles approved included: School Committee Services and Office of the Superintendent Services, $80,204; Student Transportation Services, $75,570; Regular Secondary Program and Elementary Instructional Services, $802,078; Guidance Services, Library Services, Student Health Services, $45,016; Office of the Principal Services, July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011, $118,420; Operation and Maintenance of Plant Services, July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011; Special Education Program, $115,838; Co-Curricular and Extra Curricular Activities, $9,997; Food Service Operations and Contingency, $62,262; Authorized the school committee to take $8,318 from Medicaid Reimbursement to apply to the school general operating budget for 2010-11.
Article 16 was to see what sum the town would appropriate for the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act for July 20, 2010 to June 30, 2011. The board recommended $888,607. As an explanation the warrant stated, the school administrative units contribution to the total cost of funding public education from K-12 as described in the in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act is the amount of money determined by state law to be the minimum amount that a municipality must raise in order to receive the full amount of state dollars. The article passed.
Article 17 required a ballot vote to see what sum the town would raise and appropriate in additional local funds and the board recommended $417,510. The article passed 68-13. The final four articles approved included $5,000 for a school bus reserve account, $5,000 for a building reserve account, and $2,000 for a computer replacement account and authorized the board to accept $13,425 for a State Educational Subsidy, $9,700 for a School/Breakfast Subsidy, $15,687 for a Title 1 Grant, $29,651 for a Local Entitlement Grant, and an unknown figure for any other grants that might become available.
The moderator reminded the townspeople that under state law residents were required to return to the polls at the school gym Monday, March 8, from 2 to 7 p.m., to validate all that they had just voted on.
Attending the meeting and answering questions as they arose where the members of the school board, outgoing interim superintendent Dennis Howard and incoming superintendent Mark Hurvitt, on the job for the second day. Hurvitt served four years ago as the Union 93 superintendent. Howard and Hurvitt left the meeting as soon as the school budget discussion ended to attend the Brooksville town meeting.
As the school board members departed, the town’s three selectmen, Paul Bowen, Stanley Shorey and Harold Hatch, took their positions on the stage, next to the moderator.
Articles related to the municipal budget were read by the moderator, moved by chairman Bowen, seconded by Shorey or Hatch, and for the most part recommended for approval by the finance committee.
The finance committee’s recommendations were selective as to the source of funding, recommending whether the money was to come from surplus, excise tax, or from taxation.
Articles were quickly approved with little or no comment as salaries were approved for town officers, selectmen were authorized to negotiate wages for labor and equipment, travel expenses were established, funds were authorized for contingent expenses, funds were raised to allow for maintenance and renovations of town property, and funds were approved for town, county and state service agencies.
Voters approved a $2,000 request from the Blue Hill Society for Aid to Children for funds for children attending Nichols Day Camp and Scamp Camp, a 47-year-old program, and $1,000 was granted to the Penobscot Historical Society.
When it came to Article 43, the Blue Hill Public Library request for $3,300, Hatch explained a part of the reason for the Finance Committee’s zero recommendation. When the committee met to review the warrant and decide on its recommendations, the library staff had not submitted its request, but after the recommendations had been made the request arrived in time for inclusion in the warrant for printing, but too late for finance committee consideration.
The discussion was a rerun of last year’s town meeting.
Some library supporters maintained that the Blue Hill library, considered by some to be one of the best small libraries in the nation, served as a regional library and therefore the area towns should help support it financially.
Others expressed the belief that individual users could support the library but Penobscot taxpayers, especially with the current state of the economy, should not have to use tax dollars to support the Blue Hill library.
Many spoke for and against the appropriation, but didn’t introduce themselves, most likely because everyone knows one another, so it is difficult to assign the quotes to the speakers in this report.
Liz Snow then made a motion to raise zero dollars for the Blue Hill library and it was seconded. Before it could be voted on another made a request to amend the motion to put the $3,300 into the previous motion.
Opponents to having taxpayer funds support the library said they were not opposed to Penobscot residents supporting the library on their own.
Library supporters came armed, just as they were a year ago when Helen Best and other supporters and trustees came with information listing the number of year-round and summer residents from Penobscot who use the library. Again they listed all the services provided by the library.
Robertson maintained that the library, which had a big endowment fund and patrons, had never before wanted to charge Penobscot to use the library.
One resident said if the money was provided it would only cost $2.50 a year per resident.
The moderator gave each side all the time they needed to state their cases, then called for a vote on the amendment and the assembly voted 53 to 28 to replace the zero request with the $3,300.
More discussion arose with historical references to totalitarian destruction of libraries, to Ben Franklin’s support of libraries, and the use of the library by children and students.
Hutchins then called for a vote on the amended article and the funding request was granted by a vote 57 to 29.
Other major items handled by the voters included raising $15,000 for the first payment for the school’s septic system. The payment will become due before the town receives any reimbursement funds from state or federal agencies.
During a discussion about a request for an annual appropriation of $26,300 for the new firehouse, Hatch commented, “This is our last payment,” and the room broke out in applause.
The voters also approved a request for $85,000 for the Transfer Station, and $3,000 for amended shoreland zoning maps.
Liz Snow was commended by Jean Devereux for her volunteer work determining exactly what are and are not shoreland protection sites within the community.
The final act of the evening had to do with the adoption of two moratoria that were requested to give Code Enforcement Officer Judy Jenkins and the planning board time to draft ordinances that will deal with proposed wind farm proposals or cellular tower construction. The state will allow a community without such protection a 180-day moratorium so it can develop guidelines for the protection of homeowners. She said there are at least four proposals by developers of wind turbines or towers that want to build in area communities. Some towers are proposed at 80 feet. Both moratoria were approved.
Town officials said they would not have the total of the approved budget until later, but it will be $3,300 higher than expected due to the approved Blue Hill Public Library request.
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