The Cape Elizabeth Town Council voted 4-3 Monday night to send a proposed parking fee at Fort Williams to voters in November.

Chairman David Backer and Councilors Michael Mowles and Carol Fritz voting against it. Councilors Mary Ann Lynch, Paul McKenney, Anne Swift-Kayatta and Cynthia Dill voted in favor of putting the issue on the ballot.

While voting down park fees at the meeting last month, the council voted to have town staff draft language that could go on the November ballot.

Although the council didn’t plan to hold a public hearing on the matter Monday, councilors allowed people to speak because only a few were present.

Fred Prince of Rocky Hill Road expressed disgust with the council for not ending the issue at last month’s meeting, when more than 25 residents were present to express their disfavor for the Fort fees.

Henry Berry, who said he has been at 110 Two Lights Road since 1961, said, “this question has come up repeatedly.” He said the council should have the courage to uphold their vote from last month.

After hearing comments, the council debated the wording of the ballot question. The questions raised included attaching the word “fee” to the park and display program name and whether or not the question should include wording that applies the fees strictly to non-residents.

“The referendum is important to settle the issue,” said Councilor McKenney. He took the time before the vote to stress that the park is already being supported by Cape residents.

Field gets $50,000

In other news, the council voted to appropriate $50,000 to be set aside for turf field repairs.

The money would be used if a group of residents is able to raise enough money to build a artificial turf field by next spring.

“This provides a good impetus to complete fundraising,” said Town Manager Michael McGovern.

A member of the group, Michael Ott, said the group, Kids Turf, had already raised $440,000 towards a goal of $650,000. Despite that, the group recently lost some ground when a stock someone donated lost value.

Chairman Backer said the figure was impressive considering the short time they have been trying to raise money – about six months, according to Ott.

Ott announced that lights for the turf field had already been erected. He said the artificial turf would not be going in this fall, but the group is aiming for next spring. “If it is not done in the spring, we will return people’s money,” he said.

New stop signs

In other news, town councilors approved, 6-1, new stop signs for the intersection of Spurwink Avenue and Stephenson Street.

The new stop signs are in place to make the intersection safer for drivers pulling in and out of Stephenson Street.

At last month’s meeting Susan Hirshon of Dermot Drive asked the council to please put up stop signs at the intersection of Spurwink Avenue and Stephenson Street.

“I’m not a street planner,” she had said, but the intersection is very, very dangerous.

McGovern made a presentation to the council on the intersection and recommended installing stop signs before construction begins on a nearby housing development, Cottage Brook, which was formally known as Spurwink Woods.

He said that when the planning board approved of the development, it asked the developer to put in a three-way stop. However, because that would not happen for some time – construction is scheduled to begin next year – McGovern recommended the council consider putting them up at the town’s expense and seek compensation later.

Councilor Fritz was the only one to vote against the installation of the stop signs. “We only have four roads that go North and South in town,” said Fritz. She expressed skepticism about stopping Spurwink traffic.