AVON – Voters agreed Saturday to borrow money to fix roads and to establish a written policy governing eminent domain. They rejected selling the Avon Town House this year and several articles pertaining to donations.
Residents decided to hold on to the town house for another year, Selectman Joyce Potter said Monday.
About 50 people attended Saturday’s town meeting, she said.
Townspeople voted to raise $163,148.37, about $4,500 less than last year, to cover town government operations and its share of the county budget, she said. That amount does not include the town’s commitment to SAD 58.
Initially the budget proposal that included several requests for donations was $165,098.37. Voters denied a request for $100 for Maine Public Broadcasting as well as a few other requests, Potter said.
Voters also agreed to borrow about $134,000 to add to money the town has to fix four sections of three roads: Mount Blue Pond, Avon Valley and Cross.
Also approved was a written policy that the town would only use eminent domain if there is a public works project. The policy also states that any eminent domain decision would only be made by the voters at the annual town meeting, and it prohibits the town from taking any occupied residential property by eminent domain.
Voters also re-elected Selectman Jerome Gilchrist to a three-year term and elected Darren Allen as selectman to fill a one-year term left vacant when Martin “Greg” Curtis died this winter.
Also re-elected were Town Clerk Mary Dunham, Treasurer Cynthia Dixon, Tax Collector Stephen Weiner, Road Commissioner Rocky Potter, Constable Bruce Dunham and health officer Vicki Plog.
Potter said townspeople and state Rep. Tom Saviello, I-Wilton, recognized longtime residents, twins Monty and Macky Toothaker, 85, who put the town on the map during their younger days as cross-country and track stars and Gertrude Brunton, 102, the town’s oldest resident.
The Toothakers attended the meeting but Brunton did not, Potter said.
Comments are no longer available on this story