POLAND — Poland selectmen approved the warrant drafts Tuesday night for the town meeting scheduled for April 6.
The warrant questions include amending the Comprehensive Land Use Code, regulating the cultivation and selling of marijuana for medical and recreational use and establishing the 2020 municipal budget.
The total budget for 2020 is almost $7 million, an increase of more than $248,000 or 3.73 percent from current spending.
Selectmen also voted to accept the warrant question proposed by the Conservation Commission to sell a town-owned, 9 1/2-acre wooded lot off Estes Way. The warrant question amends a 2013 article that had the proceeds from selling town-owned property going directly into the Economic Development Fund.
Fred Huntress and Barry Morgan, co-chairmen of the commission, said the funds go into a Conservation Operation Fund to pay costs associated with establishing the bridge on Waterhouse Brook Trail.
Huntress and Morgan apologized to the selectmen for not going through the budget process to request the funds needed with the town. Morgan said the commission was unaware of the final costs associated with trail until after the budget process ended.
Walter Gallagher, chairman of the Board of Selectpersons, suggested that instead of amending an article on the sale of town property, an article should be drafted to appropriate $50,000 to cover expenses associated with the Waterhouse Brook Trail.
Selectman Joe Cimino, however, said such an article would circumvent the budget process involving the town’s budget committee. Other selectmen agreed, and the $50,000 appropriation was never brought up for a vote.
In other matters, selectmen voted to have The Thomas Agency, a debt-collection service in Westbrook, collect $22,914.58 from individuals for uncollected ambulance fees.
The service dates of these runs by the Poland Fire and Rescue Ambulance were between May 2017 and August 2018.
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