WILTON — Voters at town meeting Monday raised and appropriated $15,000 for the sewer plant upgrade project.

About 125 voters passed all articles amounting to a $2.1 million spending plan for the 2016-17 fiscal year. 

A motion was made not to raise but to appropriate $15,000 from the undesignated fund balance of $1.6 million for the sewer plant upgrade. Residents voiced concerns about maintaining fiscal responsibility and not spending too much from the fund, as recommended by town auditors. The motion failed.

A motion to amend the amount to zero also failed before voters approved the $15,000.

Normally, the sewer system depends on ratepayers to cover operations, maintenance and repayment of loans. About half of the town is on the sewer system. Of the 1,776 residences, 944 are ratepayers.

Voters previously approved raising $30,000 for Phase I debt on the project. No funds were sought over the past two years because of a late start on Phase II of the $10.86 million sewer plant renovation, Town Manager Rhonda Irish said.

Facing annual loan payments of $502,000 for 29 years, the $15,000, along with $15,000 from the town’s Tax Increment Financing District, if the board approves it, would help decrease the anticipated fees for ratepayers, she said.

“It is for the good of the community,” said Paul Soucy, a former town manager. “Think about the whole picture.”

Preservation of the town’s lake and the need for the service to attract more businesses were mentioned as reasons for the upgrade.

The increase on a $150,000 home would be $16 a year, Jan Collins said. That equals about 4 cents per day. It is an environmental thing that is a benefit to the community, she said.

In other business, one resident questioned whether a full-time police department helps lower the crime rate.

Police Chief Heidi Wilcox told voters that the department’s six full-time officers have a crime-solving rate of 67 percent, compared to the state average of 29 percent. Wilton’s rate was at 17 percent before she started, she said.

Wilton was recently named the 16th safest town in Maine, she said. 

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Other items adopted at Wilton’s town meeting:

•  Wilton Public Library: $109,675. Some voters questioned funding the library, which is not a town department, but they were outnumbered by supporters.

•   Building demolition capital account for town-owned buildings, including the former Forster Manufacturing site: $50,000. A recently received $200,000 grant will help remove this hazardous eyesore, state Sen. Tom Saviello, R-Wilton, said of the projected $600,000 to $1 million price tag.

•  Repairs and rebuilding of the Kineowatha Park lake retaining wall: $20,000. Funds will be appropriated from the undesignated fund balance.

•  Repairs to Wilson Lake retaining wall at the foot of the lake: $10,000. Funds will be appropriated from the undesignated fund balance.

•  Wilton Police Department: $484,240.

• Wilton Area Food Pantry: $2,300.

•  Safe Voices: $3,000.