Staff Writer

Residents in Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel turned out for elections and town meetings to decide on various town positions and a number of warrant articles. 

Kennebunkport residents reelected Selectman Allen Daggett with 407 votes as 19 percent of registered voters turned out for the election June 9. With 369 votes, former Selectman Stuart Barwise unseated Selectman Kristi Bryant, who received 130 votes. Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Wells Water District Trustee James Burrows was re-elected to his position.

Residents approved all six referendum questions on the ballot, including purchasing property near Consolidated School and amendments to the fire code, false-alarm ordinance, shoreland zoning portion of the land-use ordinance, comprehensive plan and language in the shellfish conservation ordinance. 

At Town Meeting, 70 residents turned out Saturday to approve 54 warrant articles for the $5.8 million municipal budget, transfers of surplus funds and town taxes and properties, with discussion on two of the articles. 

Residents voiced concerns about transferring a balance of funds originally designated to upgrade three town roads to instead improve other town roads, including $46,500 to expand the width of Dyke Road to accommodate a bicycle and pedestrian path. Town Manager Larry Meade said the road is listed in the town’s plan of roads to be maintained by 2015.

“The expenditure of the $50,000 for a so-called bike path is an unnecessary expense. It would accommodate tourists, and they have successfully reached the beach for years without a bike path,” said Parker Dwelley of Goose Rocks Beach. 

Police Chief Joe Bruni said the widening of the road would improve the safety as people have begun to walk and cycle more.

“This is a problem we’ve been dodging for a long time,” Bruni said. 

A motion made by Dwelley to eliminate Dyke Road from the article failed and the article was approved as written.

A few residents spoke in opposition of $7,000 to fund the Shoreline Trolley. Since the trolley stops in Lower Village Kennebunk and does not directly service Dock Square, resident Dan Beard said the money should be set aside for other uses.

“Either save it or use it for the town’s people to benefit,” Beard said. 

The amendment he made to remove $7,000 from the budget also failed, and the article was approved as written. 

In Kennebunk, 16 percent of registered voters turned out June 9 to elect Deb Beale with 636 votes, John Kotsonis with 917 votes and David Spofford with 834 votes and re-elect Al Searles with 676 votes to the four positions on the board of selectmen.

Candidates not elected include Bruce Coyne with 548 votes, Rachel Phipps with 618 votes and William Ward with 539 votes. 

Mark Allenwood and James Oppert were elected as trustees to the sewer district, as was David Cluff as trustee for the Kennebunk Light and Power District. 

Residents also voted on six articles regarding town expenditures, approving $967,200 for capital projects, $650,000 for improvements to drainage in the Main Street area and $400,000 to extend the sewer line along Route 1 south. 

The $2.1 million proposal for improvements and enhancements to the downtown area failed by 463 votes. The $16,000 requested to fund the Kennebunk Shuttle and Shoreline Trolley failed by 371 votes. Residents also did not favor appropriating $50,000 for a non-lapsing open space account by an 856 to 643 vote. 

The remaining 28 articles on items regarding the $10 million municipal budget, town taxes and properties and amendments to town ordinances were approved with 136 residents present at the June 10 Town Meeting.

While residents voted not to appropriate $50,000 for open space, they did approve setting aside penalty fees between $10,000 and $40,000 annually for the non-lapsing open space account. 

Open Space Committee Chairman David Smith said removing land from tree growth status is essentially removing protection of open space. Residents who remove land from tree growth and other protected categories are financially penalized, and he said some of that money should further protect other open space within Kennebunk. 

“What they are asking for now is a very small amount of money that might be multiplied through state funds,” resident Sue Walker said in favor of the article. “They might be able to, with this money, begin to buy the land and keep the land for the town. It would be short sighted not to allow them this.”

In Arundel, 7 percent of registered voters turned out to elect to the board of selectmen uncontested candidates Mark Paulin and Byron Kindley. With no declared candidates for the five open seats on the budget board, residents wrote in Robert Laflamme for the three-year term, Sol Fedder and Joseph Labrador for two-year terms and Stephanie Nadeau and Bentley Warren for one-year terms. 

The 37 warrant articles were voted on by 135 residents at Town Meeting.

Town Clerk Simone Boissonneault said residents voted to reduce the budget for the transfer station by $15,000, and all other articles were approved as written. 

Staff writer Emma Bouthillette can be reached at 282-4337 ext. 237.