ANDOVER — Voters at the June 14 annual town meeting approved buying a new plow truck and a 180-day moratorium on utility-scale solar projects.

Many of the 86 residents were at the Town Hall for the 8 a.m. start to vote on the 71-article warrant.

Selectman Justin Thacker said the proposed municipal budget for 2026 was $1.5 million, about $400,000 more than last year.

Voters authorized spending up to $256,000 for a complete build Western Star truck with plow and sander. The newest plow truck is a 2007 model.

Board Chairman Brian Mills said the plan had been to do a five-year lease/purchase option. However, a resident amended the article to raise $56,000 from taxes and the rest from the new equipment account, which, after town meeting, had a total of $201,000.

Voters approved the $56,000 in the amended article.

Moderator Dave Duguay noted that the Select Board has the authority to take money from the new equipment account.

By raised hands showing yellow voting cards, the majority approved a six-month moratorium on utility-scale solar facilities.

A citizen petition was submitted to the Planning Board asking for a pause to revisit and set boundaries for solar farms. Planning Board Chairman Sid Pew said he agreed to put it to a vote at a town meeting. He said there are two solar farms in place, with two more “in the pipeline.”

Mills said he believes the moratorium would pertain only to large-scale projects that would be selling power to Central Maine Power.

Thacker said that after the 180 days the board has the authority to extend it another 180 days, which would take it to the next annual town meeting.

Voters approved three articles to have the road commissioner, town clerk and the tax collector appointed instead of elected, effective at the 2027 annual town meeting.

Thacker said the Select Board would interview candidates and make the appointments.

Mills added, “It’s becoming very, very difficult to fill these positions. And when you have it elected, you run into the possibility of you don’t know what you’re going to get. And the only way to remove that official is to have a recall. And if it comes down to your opinion versus my opinion on whether or not that person is doing a good job.”

He said, “I think the appointed thing would give us a bit more oversight. If the person is not doing the job, we can let them go and try to find somebody else.”

An article to enact a property maintenance ordinance failed in a 34-34 vote.

Code Enforcement Officer Tim Johnson said having the ordinance would give him the flexibility of more time to work with a homeowner for enforcement, as opposed to the state ordinance that says cleanup must take place within 90 days. It was noted that some would have trouble with the expense involved with a cleanup.

The ordinance would have targeted abandoned and deteriorating structures. It outlines examples of unsafe or unsatisfactory conditions, including junkyards, automobile graveyards, tires, household debris, scrap metals, wood, discarded lumber or plastic, refuse, household trash and human waste.

Johnson brought the matter to the board in March following a specific complaint about a property on East Andover Road with several junk cars in the yard. The vehicles are within 250 feet of the Ellis River.

“Forever chemicals are leaking into the ground,” Johnson said at the meeting.

Pew said he has also received complaints from residents about neighboring junkyards.

Voters approved the Select Board’s recommendation to appropriate $25,823 to replace the tennis and basketball courts. Mills said asphalt would be removed, along with some of the fencing, with some pavement put down to make the area “safe and useable.”

The work would not include striping for the tennis court.