By Molly Lovell
Staff Writer
Voters in Kennebunk will hit the polls June 10 to nominate Legislative candidates and elect a member of the board of selectmen in addition to voting on two local referendum questions. Kennebunk’s annual Town Meeting will take place June 11 in the town hall auditorium.
One referendum will ask voters to approve a $29,725,000 bond for natural resource, agriculture and transportation infrastructure that will leverage $29,780,000 in other funds.
The second question asks voters if they favor allowing the Kennebunk Light and Power District to provide retail electric service throughout the town.
Earlier this year Gov. John Baldacci signed a bill to allow about 1,500 Lower Village residents to be included in the Kennebunk Light and Power District’s service area. Central Maine Power has been providing service to that area since 1903 while the Kennebunk Light and Power District serves the rest of the town.
Citizens for Electrical Equity in Kennebunk, or CEEK, has supported the effort to break away from Central Maine Power for several years and were instrumental in getting a non-binding referendum question on the town’s 2006 ballot asking if residents would support Kennebunk Light and Power District providing service to the entire town. Eighty-nine percent of voters approved it.
A “Yes” vote on the June 10 referendum would allow the district to arrange the purchase of Central Maine Power’s relevant facilities within the town.
In a story published in the Kennebunk Post April 17, Central Maine Power Spokesman John Carroll said the company is not willing to sell their facilities in Kennebunk. He also said before a purchase price could be established, Kennebunk Light and Power District would need to have an appraisal of Central Maine Power’s assets at a cost of $100,000. Carroll said the cost would be passed on to Kennebunk Light and Power customers.
In the article, Kennebunk Light and Power Manager Sharon Staz said the issue is a matter of service, responsibility and local control.
Staz said she is confident the June 10 referendum will pass, but said, “the uphill struggle will come with trying to force the sale.”
Citizens for Electrical Equity in Kennebunk Chairman Peter Hanson said while all residents are responsible for Kennebunk Light and Power’s debts, not all residents are able to participate in its service.

Kennebunk Annual Town Meeting
On June 11 residents will vote on more than 40 articles at the annual town meeting, 7 p.m. in the town hall auditorium.
Article 10 asks the town to raise and appropriate $3.9 million toward general government. This is a $70,000 increase from 2007-2008 appropriations. Both the budget board and board of selectmen requested acceptance of this article by a majority vote.
Article 11 asks the town to appropriate $10,000 for the continuation of the charter commission, which was unanimously accepted by the board of selectmen.
Article 12 asks the town to appropriate $3.1 million for public safety, a $215,000 increase compared to last year’s public safety budget.
Article 14 asks residents to appropriate $695,599 for capital expenditures and debt service. This is a decrease of $150,000 over last year’s appropriations.
Article 34 asks voters to approve a $500,000 bond for road improvements and paving on Maguire Road, Durrell’s Bridge Road, Brown Street, Heath Road and shoulder improvements throughout town. 
To see a complete list of all articles visit www.kennebunkmaine.org.