CAMDEN, Maine — Residents will have the final say in June on whether the town should contribute money to restore the town clock located in the steeple of a local church.
The Select Board agreed Tuesday night to place an article on the June 15 meeting town warrant asking residents whether the town should spend up to $75,000 toward the restoration effort by the Chestnut Street Baptist Church.
Earlier this month, the town’s budget committee eliminated proposed funding for the clock, which is owned by the town.
At Tuesday’s selectmen’s meeting, Jeff Foltz from the church’s fundraising committee urged the board to let voters decide. The church had requested $100,000 from the town.
“People come to the community for the look of the town,” Foltz said. “The clock is prominent to the town skyline.”
Chestnut Street Baptist Church Pastor Adam Kohlstrom said in an email to the BDN that while the steeple is part of the church’s building, it is neither visible to the congregation when they gather for services nor does it benefit its mission.
“However, we undertook this effort to restore the steeple because of our 175-year history as host of the Camden town clock. We expected our effort to protect the town clock and preserve Camden’s iconic skyline — enjoyed by people of all faiths — would have been embraced as an important community effort by our town’s leaders,” the pastor stated.
Foltz said since it became public that the budget committee had eliminated money for the clock in the proposed budget, the church raised an additional $13,000 through its private fundraising effort.
The effort to repair the clock, steeple and spire needs an additional $193,000 to reach its goal. The push began last year to raise $538,000.
The church congregation organized in Camden in 1808 when Thomas Jefferson was president. The church was built in 1837 and the clock was added to the historic building in 1868.
Town Manager Patricia Finnigan said that the $75,000 would cost a homeowner with property assessed at $200,000 an additional 15 cents on their tax bill.
The Select Board voted Tuesday night to send a $7,404,291 budget for 2016-2017 to residents at the annual town meeting. The budget represents a 3.5 percent increase from the 2016-2016 budget.
The Select Board’s recommended package includes 2 percent cost-of-living raises for employees. The budget committee had eliminated those raises.
Board Chair John French Jr. said it was important to retain talented, dedicated employees and the cost-of-living raise would help with that. He said it would cost the town money to lose experienced workers and then have to train new ones.
Board member Leonard Lookner said he supported an increase for hourly employees but not for salaried workers who he said already made significant money.
“As a nation we talk about a $15 minimum wage. We can do something here,” Lookner said about increasing the pay for hourly workers.
The board also set a public hearing for May 3 for a proposed ordinance that would ban feeding of wildlife when it creates a nuisance. The board has yet to decide whether that will be voted on at the polls on June 14 or at the floor of the town meeting on June 15.
Camden residents also will decide at the town meeting whether to support the Mid-Coast Solid Waste Corporation’s recommendation to enter into a contract for solid waste disposal with ecomaine of Portland.