NORWAY – Despite concerns, an ordinance aiming to limit the mobility of lifetime registered sex offenders passed Monday night at the annual town meeting.

The ordinance forbids offenders who have been convicted of a sex crime against a child under the age of 18 from living or loitering within 2,500 feet of a school property line or 1,000 feet of a day-care center property line. Offenders would also be forbidden from entering those properties without permission from the school or day-care owner.

Chief Robert Federico of the Norway Police Department said there were 23 registered sex offenders in Norway at the last count, and 12 who may be affected by the ordinance but will be grandfathered in.

The ordinance does not apply to offenders currently living within those zones, or if a new school or day-care center is built within the range of an offender’s residence.

One resident, who declined to give his name, said he was concerned with the former exception.

“Who’s to know what the intent of the sex offender was when they moved where they are?” he asked. “I don’t think there ought to be any grandfathering at all for that aspect of it.”

Debbie Dembski, the executive director of the Rape Education and Crisis Hotline, said most sex crimes are committed by someone familiar to the victim. She said research has shown there is no correlation between reoffending and the proximity to a school or day care.

“Huge numbers of offenders went underground when they were restricted in terms of residency,” she said.

Calvin Shelton, a registered sex offender from Bridgton, said the ordinance might raise legal issues to the detriment of the town.

“The cumulative effect becomes punitive,” said Shelton, arguing that an overruling of the ordinance could threaten other measures of protection such as the sex offender registry.

The ordinance was approved by a show of hands.

The town also voted to raise $239,000 for the public library, an increase of $15,000 from last year. Library treasurer and trustee Steve Veazey said the funds will cover the repair of the building’s boiler as well as health insurance for an additional employee and increased health premiums and insurance.

A proposed amendment to reduce the library budget to $230,500 failed in a 42-30 vote.

Voters also accepted the recommendation of the selectmen to not allocate $19,000 for a shared drug enforcement agent with Paris and Oxford.

“Quite frankly, I just don’t see that Norway got their money’s worth out of it,” Federico said.

The agent was approved at last year’s town meeting over the selectmen’s disapproval. Federico said a floating officer position will help investigate drug cases in the agent’s absence.

Voters also approved taking funds from the Fred W. and Laura S. Sanborn Trust Fund for town projects. Twenty thousand dollars will go toward repairs of the Little Red Schoolhouse, while $10,000 will be contributed to Norway Downtown and $1,500 used to maintain town gardens.