LISBON – Voters approved a 20-year tax increment financing plan for Enterprise Electric Tuesday night, along with a $350,000 bond for the treatment plant.

The measures were approved overwhelmingly in a 20-minute special town meeting. Voters also made changes to the parks code that will apply to all eight municipal parks. The changes include no smoking. Amendments to the street name code will include mobile homes in parks.

All but five of the 47 voters approved establishing the 20-year Municipal Development and Tax Increment Financing District for Enterprise Electric, a local electrical contracting company that has been in business here since 1968.

Former Advisory Board Chairman Herbert “Pete” Reed objected to the public hearing on the TIF article and the town meeting being held right after. He said in the past the town has “never had a public hearing on any article, at, or prior to a town meeting before. It’s not right, it should have been held prior to selectmen calling a special town meeting.”

Town Attorney Roger Therriault said it was permissible under state statute and everything was “procedurally correct.”

“It might be legal,” Reed conceded, “but, morally, I don’t think it’s right.”

Reed, describing himself as a nonsmoker for the past 15 years, also opposed portions of the proposed park ordinance, particularly the non-smoking provision. He said it was “too encompassing. Vote this down, send it back to be redrawn,” he urged voters.

The article was approved by hand vote with only seven against.

Both the bond and street name articles were approved without debate.

J. Michal Huston moderated the meeting.

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