On Tuesday, voters in Kennebunk will be asked to support an effort to conserve the 72-acre Hope Cemetery and Woods in downtown Kennebunk for public use with $100,000 toward the purchase of a recreational and conservation easement.
The Board of Selectmen voted two in favor and five against, meaning the board does not support acceptance of Question 2 on the ballot. The Budget Board recommends passage of the article by a 4-1 vote.
[Subscribe to our free morning newsletter and get the latest headlines in your inbox]
The Friends of Hope Cemetery and Woods is working in partnership with the Kennebunk Land Trust to raise $1.4 million through public and private funds to save the property from possible development and preserve the trails for public use.
Question 1 asks voters to appropriate $75,000 from the general unassigned fund balance to purchase two police vehicles. The Selectmen voted 7-0 to recommend this article, while the Budget Board was opposed by a 1-5 vote.
[Kennebunk selectmen, budget committee divided over additional spending on police cars]
Police Chief Bob MacKenzie said one vehicle will be equipped for the Animal Control Officer. A total of $40,000 was appropriated for police vehicles in the budget approved by voters in June, but the estimates given were not adequate and did not include all of the equipment needed for the cruisers.
Clarification to the zoning ordinance around piers, docks, bridges and marinas is being addressed in Question 3 on the ballot.
Voting will take place at Town Hall Auditorium on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Residents are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item when they vote to help stuff the bus for Community Outreach Services.