NEW GLOUCESTER — In record time — just 90 minutes — roughly 75 voters passed 33 warrant articles at the annual town meeting Monday.

Moderator Gary Wood led voters through each article, allowing questions for clarification from voters who discovered they were unable to raise additional capital improvement funds for reserve accounts for fire and rescue, the highway department and the transfer station.

The selectmen’s request to fund $26,875 for fire and rescue equipment’s capital reserve account was questioned by Roger Levasseur.

“The capital reserves should have been increased,” he said. “We’ve had four years with no money in reserves and we’re going backward so fast. We need to go back to where we should be.” 

The board said with the hiring of the new Fire/Rescue Chief James Ladewig, an inventory will be completed with a proposed replacement schedule identifying the needs of the department.

Also speaking about the capital reserve accounts, resident James Fitch said, “If the plan is wrong, let’s change it. If it’s the wrong schedule, we need to know it and appropriate the money for highway, lawn mowers, firetrucks and whatever it is.”

Wood told resident Michael Brakey that based on the warrant, which lists the exact funding request, legally voters can’t increase the amount but they can decrease it.

Reserve accounts for fiscal year 2017 include:

• bridge capital reserve, $8,750;

• transfer station reserve, $10,000;

• highway equipment reserve, $100,000; and

• fire and rescue equipment, $26,875.

Voters learned that the Morse Road project cost is lower than planned at $750,000 and uses Tax Increment Financing revenue to pay for it. Originally $825,000 was requested.

Voters approved funding $300,000 for municipal paving projects.

“The prices came in low and this is a golden opportunity so we can catch up,” Selectman Steve Libby said.

Voters approved funding the following:

• Public Works Department, $703,040;

• solid waste, $233,028;

• Fire Department, $218,740;

• emergency medical services, $156,153; and

• public safety dispatch, $37,752.

Additionally, voters approved funding:

• selectmen, $20,300;

• administration, $287,379;

• assessing, $37,600;

• legal, $20,000;

• planning, $70,689;

• library, $93,631; and

• parks and recreation, $53,166.

Before the start of the meeting, state Rep. Ellie Espling and Sen. Eric Brakey issued a sentiment from the 127th Legislature to New Gloucester resident William Kiley for his dedicated years of service to the town.

Selectmen dedicated the 220th annual town report to Kiley.