Staff Writer

Voters June 8 elected new selectmen for Arundel and Kennebunk and three new RSU 21 school board representatives for the 12-seat board.

Kennebunk voters approved all but one of the 22 referendum questions. They authorized selectmen to sell any property acquired through non-payment of taxes, changed the zoning ordinance and Comprehensive Plan and approved the $6.8 million budget.

Voters rejected  $16,000 for the Shoreline Trolley and Kennebunk Shuttle by 40 votes, 1,428-1,468. Kennebunkport also decided not to fund the trolley this year.

Voters approved $999,609 to be transferred from the undesignated general fund, also known as the surplus account, for sidewalk and road improvements, to erase the pay-as-you-throw garbage plan debt and reduce future debt service requirements.

Voters approved 1,606-1,358 the most debated issue on the warrant, the purchase of the former Mobil gas station on Main Street in Kennebunk. The question asked voters to allow the town to use $310,000 to purchase the building and land. This is the last requirement in a purchase and sales agreement made between Town Manager Barry Tibbetts and C.N. Brown, owner of the gas station.

C.N. Brown recently lowered the price of the gas station to $280,000. The remaining $30,000 of approved funds can be used as the town’s match for a Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission grant for environmental clean up on the site.

Kevin Donovan won one selectman seat with 2,242 votes. Richard Morin won the other three-year term seat as a write-in candidate with 275 votes, replacing Tom Wellman and Wayne Barry.

Matthew Fadiman and Frank Drigotas, the only two school board candidates on the ballot, will replace Gayle Spofford and Jim Smith. Fadiman received 1,840 votes, Drigotas won 1,966 votes.

Craig Macdonald won the five-year position as trustee for Kennebunk Light and Power District with 2,471 votes.

Nicholas Branchina and Robert Dicarlo won the two, three-year terms as trustees for Kennebunk Sewer District.

In Kennebunkport, 1,337 voters cast ballots. They approved all seven questions on the town ballot and re-elected all three incumbents to school board and selectman seats.

Voters chose, 889-383, to remove mobile home parks as a conditional use in both Cape Arundel and Goose Rocks areas.

Question two clarified language in the ordinance that covers accessory apartments, which was passed last November. It passed 1,036-215. 

The planning board now has the power to allow reconstruction of non-conforming structures and selectmen have greater flexibility on property tax assistance. The town’s Comprehensive Plan amendments identifying growth areas passed, 908-299. 

Questions six and seven addressed two quit-claim deeds on private parcels of land that are no longer needed by the town for easements. Question six passed 1,078-165. Question seven passed 1,075-164.

Sheila Matthews-Bull and Mike Weston were both re-elected to serve on the board of selectmen for three years. Matthews-Bull received 997 votes and Weston received 894 votes.

Norm Archer also was re-elected to serve another three-year term on the school board with 1,014 votes.

In Arundel both incumbents on the board of selectmen were re-elected and the consolidated school board has a new member.

Selectmen incumbents Dana Peck and Velma Jones Hayes received 578 and 579 votes respectively for three-year terms.

Daniel Pleva, who ran unopposed for the three-year seat as an Arundel representative on the school board replacing Pamela Richard Wuerthner, had 621 votes.

Richard Ganong and Shawn Hayes were both elected to serve three-year terms on the budget committee with 535 and 590 votes, respectively.

Raymon Ward was elected to serve a two-year term on the budget committee with 620 votes.