KENNEBUNK — The annual town meeting and a special town meeting have been rolled into one and will be held July 14, in conjunction with the state legislative primary.
The elections for municipal, Regional School Unit 21 and other offices, barring any write-ins, are fully uncontested.
Voters will cast ballots on the budget for the fiscal year that will have begun on July 1. Mindful of projected reduced revenues, select board and budget board members were to look at ways to reduce the budget presented earlier this year, before the coronavirus pandemic began to move across the country. A meeting was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Saturday, April 16 with the budget board to hear recommended modifications from town staff. They’ll host a first public hearing on a modified budget on April 28 at 6:30 p.m.
Running for two select board seats are incumbent William Ward and resident Peter Brewitt. Terms are three years. Incumbent Chris Cluff is not seeking another term.
In the running for two RSU 21 Board of Directors seats are Arthur LeBlanc and Dawn Therrien. Neither of the incumbents, Rachel Phipps and Tanya Alsberg, are seeking re-election. Terms are three years.
Incumbent Robert Emmons is unopposed for a three-year term on the Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Wells Water District.
Emmons is also unopposed for a five-year trusteeship on the Kennebunk Light and Power District; Beverly Freudenreich is unopposed in her bid for the three-year balance of a term on the KLPD board — Freudenreich was appointed by the select board to fill a vacancy until the election.
No one has stepped up to run for a three-year term on the Kennebunk Sewer District board. Incumbent John Price is not seeking re-election.
The May 14 Kennebunk Special Town Meeting to vote on proposed zoning amendments to allow state licensed testing facilities for adult use marijuana (formerly termed recreational, by the state), within the Business Park zoning district will also be conducted as part of the July 14 town meeting. It had originally been scheduled for April 7, but moved to May due to concerns about the coronavirus.
Now that the state has put the launch of adult use marijuana on hold, the vote lacks urgency, select board members reasoned at their April 14 meeting. Nelson Analytical Lab currently tests for medical marijuana and has applied to the state for licensing as a testing facility for adult use marijuana, and according to the state, is the closest of any of the applicants to achieving licensure. In order to do the testing, a change in municipal zoning ordinance would be required to allow the testing, since Kennebunk did not “opt in” to any of the adult use provisions.
Town Clerk Merton Brown said absentee ballots are available for the marijuana question and that he’ll have the others available three days before the July 14 annual town meeting. Residents can call and ask for them at 604-1326.
Resident John Costin said he’d understood that Nelson Analytical Labs had been going to pay for costs associated with the special election and questioned the status, given the plan for a combined town meeting. Brown said he planned to track expenses and charge only for costs associated with that vote.
The status of the RSU 21 validation referendum vote was unclear; town officials were to meet with their RSU 21 counterparts.
Polls will be open at the Town Hall auditorium from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on July 14.
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