WINDHAM — Residents spoke loud and clear against building a sewer system on routes 302 and 202, rejecting spending $37.8 million on the proposed project, 6,513 to 2,036.

Residents also voted to elect Dennis Welch, Peter Anania and Matthew Noel to the Town Council, and reelected Toby Pennels and Marge Govoni to the Regional School Unit 14 board.

Several residents said that voting against the sewer project was one of the main reasons they came out to the polls at Windham High School, which were packed Tuesday afternoon before the end of the regular work day at 5 p.m.

The proposal was to pay for the project by imposing fees on about 450 properties that could connect to the sewer and by raising taxes $1 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, meaning the owner of a $250,000 home would pay $250 more in taxes annually.

The fees on landowners on routes 202 and 302 would vary depending on the property.

All of them, except for farms, would have had to pay a one-time fee of $12.30 per foot of land along the road where the sewer lies.

All commercial properties would have been required to hook up to the sewer and pay $696 or higher. Residents would pay the same rate to connect, but wouldn’t be required to do so.

Those who chose not to hook up to the sewer would pay an annual $285 ready-to-use fee.

“I almost voted for it,” said Leonard Johnson, 59, who doesn’t live where the sewer was proposed. Ultimately, he decided the economic climate wasn’t right.

“It was a bad time to bring this up,” he said.

Suna Shaw, 31, said she thinks the town has had enough growth and does not need a sewer system to entice more.

Advocates of the sewer said it would spur economic development and help protect an aquifer under North Windham, where nitrate levels are on the rise, but Shaw was one resident who was skeptical.

“I haven’t heard much of it being a positive thing for the town,” Shaw said.

Grant Byras, 41, said he’d rather see the town save up for the sewer and then build it.

“It’s poor fiscal planning,” he said of the proposal to borrow money.

Windham residents had to choose between two candidates in three council races.

For an at-large seat, incumbent Dennis Welch beat planning board member John Carlberg, 3,886 to 3,380.

In the West District, incumbent Matthew Noel. defeated a former councilor, Robert Muir, 4,113 to 3,380.

To fill a one-year vacancy in the North District, Peter Anania edged Carol Waig, 3,907 to 3,773.

In a three-way race for two seats on the Regional School Unit 14 board, resident chose incumbents Toby Pennels and Marge Govoni, with 3,751 and 3,199 votes, respectively, over newcomer Eric Colby, who received 2,704 votes.

Voters approved all but one of 16 proposed changes to the town’s charter, including removing references to the Windham School District (now Regional School Unit 14) and no longer allowing members of the school department or the fire department to serve on the Town Council.

The one change rejected, 4,278 to 3,609, would have removed the Planning Board from the process of developing the capital program.

Staff Writer Leslie Bridgers can be contacted at: 791-6364 or at

lbridgers@pressherald.com
 

Copy the Story Link