Freeport has a new face on the Sewer District Board of Trustees as Gerald Kennedy was voted into office at the Nov. 4 election, unseating the board’s incumbent chairperson.

Incumbent Sally Leland and newcomer Kennedy were elected in the threeway race for two seats on the Freeport Sewer District Board of Trustees. Leland garnered 2,360 votes while Kennedy received 1,705 votes. Incumbent Michael Ashby came in a close second to Kennedy with 1,663 votes.

Kennedy, who has lived in Freeport for more than 50 years, is retired and formerly owned a glass instal lation business. He ran for the trusteeship because he was asked to, he said in a phone interview with The Times Record.

“ I’ve always been involved in the town,” said Kennedy, noting that he also serves on the Board of Appeals and had served on the school board prior to regional school unit consolidation. “I thought that I could contribute to the town that I love.

“I’ve been told there are no major challenges foreseen on the horizon,” he added, “but there has been quite a bit of construction from breakages, and I think looking at system as a whole and replacing what needs to be replaced is the way to go now.”

After a record-breaking rainfall on Aug. 13, there were closures on Hunter Road, Flying Point Road at the Brunswick town line, at U. S. Route 1 near exit 24 and Upper Mast Landing Road. Beech Hill Road at Picnic Hill and Cheehaak Road were reduced to one lane traffic.

The total cost of damages resulting from that storm was estimated by Town Engineer Albert Presgraves to be in the range of $ 120,000, according to a town report.

While serving as a trustee, Kennedy said he will be looking at the extent of rainwater infiltration and also looks forward to continuing town efforts to keep Casco Bay’s water clean.

“ My understanding is that there is a lot of infiltration in certain areas of town, which I’m getting an education on now,” said Kennedy. “There are areas where the piping is very old and made of clay and some of those systems may need to be replaced.

“The other concern that I have is that we continue to be able to keep the harbor water very clean as they’ve been doing that over the last few years — there are very few shutdowns,” he added. “It’s healthier, promotes industry, and I just like the idea of sailing on a blue ocean — it’s pretty.”

A quasi-municipal corporation, the Freeport Sewer District is charged with maintaining the system that treats and disposes of the town’s sewage. The seven- member Board of Trustees meet on the third Monday of each month at the Freeport district office, located at 43 South Freeport Road.

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