WATERFORD – After a heated debate and an initial tie vote Saturday, residents narrowly defeated a ban on personal watercraft on Keoka Lake.

Charlie Tarbell of the Keoka Lake Association said 60 of the 63 members of the association voted in favor of a ban on personal watercraft. He quoted Coast Guard statistics that jet skis and other personal watercraft release more pollution and are more dangerous than conventional boats with outboard motors.

Others said they thought the pollution created by personal watercraft was a very small percentage of the total pollution in the lake and that banning them would lead to bans on other watercraft.

Several people argued that the four-stroke motors used in newer personal watercraft do not create as much pollution as the older two-stroke engines.

A show of hands resulted in a 35-35 tally. The measure was defeated 40-38 in a second vote.

Tarbell said whether the ban would be revisited next year would be up to the association.

In other business, voters were asked to close the bridge on Cross Street, which connects the Sweden Road and routes 35/37 near Bear Mountain Inn in the village of South Waterford. A 2001 report found that the “steel beams are in seriously poor condition” and that the bridge “should be monitored frequently,” Selectman Cynthia Hamlin reported.

There were concerns among residents that closing the bridge would lead to greater wear on, and possibly damage to, the granite bridge on Back Street, which also connects Sweden Road and routes 35/37 near Kimball’s Hardware in South Waterford.

The measure to close the Cross Street Bridge was defeated, 30-7.

Both bridges span City Brook.

Taxpayers voted to raise $18,000 of the requested $36,000 for the improvement of the Sand Lot sports center, with the remaining money to be borrowed from the Forestry Fund. After intense debate on this issue and a measure to provide $6,000 to hire a professional librarian, many voiced their frustration at the town’s reluctance to spend money.

“We’ve voted to spend $85,000 on roads, but we’re having a hard time spending money to benefit every person in this town, from the youngest, to the oldest,” Terra Fillebrown said. “Where are our priorities?”

The townspeople went on to approve hiring a librarian.