Town Meeting Roundup: Washington voters set budget, approve marijuana ordinance

WASHINGTON — Voters at Washington’s annual Town Meeting on Saturday approved $1.2 million in spending and an ordinance on the zoning and licensing of marijuana businesses.

Town Clerk Mary Anderson said 58 people attended the meeting at the Washington Fire Department, which was moderated by Mike Mayo. Anderson said voters approved every warrant article — with only one amendment — during the 90-minute meeting.

Wendy Carr, Jesse Casas, Donald Grinnell, David Martucci, Walter Metcalf, Kathleen Ocean and David Williams were elected to the budget committee, while Deborah Bocko and Peg Hobbs were elected as committee alternates.

The only amendment was on Article 40, which dealt with refinancing a mortgage and borrowing $100,000 to make repairs to the town garage. The article passed with an amendment requiring an engineer approve repair plans.

Voters supported $1,234,613 for municipal expenditures, a 10.8% increase from the $1,114,601 approved last year.

Officials said the town is feeling greater effects from cost increases outside its control. The town’s contract with Union Ambulance, for example, is to increase 53.1%, from $38,000 to $58,174.

The ordinance dealing with marijuana businesses includes marijuana-cultivation facilities, retail stores, testing facilities and manufacturing facilities.

Cultivation facilities will now be be permitted in the rural commercial, rural and farm and forest districts. Retail stores, testing facilities and marijuana-manufacturing facilities are permitted in the rural commercial district, but not in the rural district or farm and forest district.

A Marijuana Cultivation Facilities license will cost 50 cents per square foot, with a minimum fee of $600. Licenses for facilities where marijuana products are manufactured will also cost 50 cents per square foot, with a minimum fee of $300.

Marijuana retail stores have a $1,400 initial fee, with renewals costing $700. Marijuana-testing facilities do not require a license.

MOUNT VERNON

Residents at Saturday’s annual Town Meeting in Mount Vernon voted against a $200,000 paving project proposed for Bean Road, but approved $1,469,883 in municipal spending.

Selectman Paul Crockett said about 60 people attended the meeting at Mount Vernon Elementary School. Crockett said the meeting was held outdoors and groups were socially distanced under tents.

A proposed $12,500 expenditure for an engineering study of the village’s municipal waste system was not put to a vote Saturday. Crockett said it was skipped due to uncertainty about revenues coming from the state.

Voters also defeated an article that would have changed the town’s administrative assistant position to town administrator.

The meeting was moderated by Steve Hayes of Readfield.

WHITEFIELD

Whitefield residents at Saturday’s Town Meeting set municipal spending for the next fiscal year at $1,117,412.

The spending plan represents a 10.8% decrease from the budget approved in March 2019.

Interim Town Clerk Tina Laskey said about 25 people attended the meeting, which was moderated by Jeffrey Frankel at Whitefield Elementary School.

That budget was trimmed from a previous draft. According to a letter sent to residents before the meeting, town expenditures were set at $1,407,423 before the coronavirus pandemic.

Laskey said Articles 4 thru 11 and 12 thru 40 were taken as blocks, which allowed the meeting to finish in about an hour.

Voters opposed Article 43, which would have authorized the town to participate in the purchase of a solar farm with other Regional School Unit 12 communities.

Laskey said the Select Board recommended voters reject the article because it was not in the best interest of the town. After discussion, the article failed.

Voters also defeated Article 46, which would have eliminated $4,000 in Cable Franchise Fee revenue, because that revenue was already appropriated in Article 38.