ROCKPORT, Maine — The Select Board voted unanimously Monday night against a citizen’s request to place a referendum on the June ballot that would restrict any future library expansion at the current site.
Board Chairman William Chapman said it simply was too early in June to have a vote like that.
The library board has hired a consultant to undertake a study on what the community needs for a public library. That is expected to be completed by the end of June.
In addition, the Select Board plans to commission a study on the condition of the building and to find out how much of the site can be developed if an expansion is planned. Chapman said the goal is for that study, if authorized, to be done in June as well.
“We would muddy the water if we had a vote in June,” Chapman said.
Rockport resident David Berry presented the request at the Monday night meeting, the board chairman said. Berry could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
One option still open to the group would be to gather at least 190 signatures of registered Rockport voters to get the question on the June ballot.
Another member of the group, Sally Cook, said the group expects to meet within the week to determine whether to launch a petition drive.
The proposed article stated that “any reconstruction, expansion, improvement, renovation, or replacement of the Rockport Public Library be limited to it’s current location at 1 Limerock Street.”
In November, residents rejected two library related referendums. The ballot question asking whether the library should be located at the former Rockport Elementary School site, now owned by the town, was rejected 1,065 to 786. The other question to develop a plan for a new library failed 989 to 867.
Chapman questioned what would happen if voters rejected the citizen group’s ballot, which would prevent expansion at the current site because residents already have said no the former RES site.