UNITY — Residents amended or rejected numerous articles Saturday at an annual Town Meeting that lasted almost seven hours.

More than 70 people attended the meeting, which ran from 9 a.m. until nearly 4 p.m., Town Clerk Kari Hunt said Monday.

Several articles were voted down, including one that would have used $563 from federal American Rescue Plan Act money for a breathing apparatus for the Fire Department.

Residents also turned down two articles for the purchase of an electronic sign: One article asked to use $5,000 from ARPA funds, and the other would have raised an additional $6,000.

Voters also rejected proposals to use $3,000 from undesignated funds for a bulk waste collection day, and $15,000 from undesignated funds to drill a well on town-owned land at 180 Depot St.

Many articles were amended before being approved at the meeting, Hunt said.

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One article that was originally written to allow private organizations to use municipal property for private use was amended to say it is acceptable with municipal authorization.

Another article had to do with funding for Waldo Community Action Partners. The organization had requested $17,531, but the budget committee and Board of Selectmen recommended $2,200. Residents opted to amend the item to about $8,765, before approving it.

Another question focused on the breathing apparatus for the Fire Department. Because the measure to use additional ARPA funds was rejected, the amount to be raised was changed to $7,100, which was then approved.

Hunt did not have the overall municipal budget available Monday because officials were still determining it based on changes voters made Saturday to the warrant articles.

The town also held an election Friday in which Antonio De Avila won a three-year seat on the Board of Selectmen. He received 184 votes, defeating incumbent Penny Picard Sampson, with 103 votes.

Patricia Clark won a seat on the Unity Utility District board of trustees. Clark ran unopposed.

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