BOWDOINHAM

After spending several minutes debating a proposed fireworks ordinance the town body was split on but adopted, Bowdoinham voters soared through the rest of the annual Town Meeting warrant on Wednesday night at Bowdoinham Community School.

There were 98 registered voters who attended the 70-minute meeting.

The first order of business after electing Bob Lenna as the moderator was to debate the merits of a fireworks ordinance. Voters killed a proposed ordinance in 2013 that would have banned consumer fireworks. The ordinance will restrict use of “consumer fireworks or explosives, either loose or contained in a tube or other enclosure, within 1,000 feet of a property where livestock is present without the consent of that property’s owner.”

Additionally, debris from the use of consumer fireworks can’t “enter or land on the property of a person who has not given consent for the debris to enter or land on that property.”

The ordinance language includes fines for violations, and would be enforced by the Sagadahoc County Sheriff ’s Office.

One resident asked if firing guns while hunting would also be prohibited within 1,000 feet of livestock given the “explosives” reference and was told it wouldn’t apply to hunters. Others asked how the ordinance would be enforced.

“This sounds like a lot of he said-she said,” said Albert Stehle. “The way I look at this, someone’s going to say ‘Someone’s shooting off fireworks near my animals.’ So does this mean the sheriff ’s department is going to run right over or are they going to wait until the next day and go over with their K-9, fireworks sniffing dog to look for debris or to look for evidence? Are they going to show up when you’re home?”

Town Manager William Post said he’d “been informed that they would expect a complainant to file a formal written complaint if there was someone violating the fireworks ordinance.”

Another resident suggested adding some language in the restrictions, noting it seems there are many things you can do with fireworks to make things unpleasant for neighbors. The ordinance couldn’t be amended on the floor that substantively however.

Selectwoman Theresa Turgeon said the town has to “come up with some kind of agreement that is as fair as we can possibly make it for everybody.”

“We’ve had history in this town of people lighting off fireworks where other people have had animals and we’ve had people who have been elderly and kids who have been sick who have all been disturbed by the fireworks,” she said. “So this is an attempt to try to respond in a way that can be as fair as possible.

“I know people have left this town because of the fireworks,” Turgeon added.

“This particular article, it seems to me, is pretty much covered by state law,” said Allan Frizzle, “except for a few (sections) that seem to be a little bit on the personal side. My question to the people of Bowdoinham is, when in the hell are you going to grow up? Accept the responsibilities of being an adult.”

The ordinance as written in some cases is almost unenforceable, Frizzle said.

“You really can’t control the debris of the fireworks that are flying off in the sky,” he said.

“Cut out this BS of finding fault with your neighbor and what have you,” Frizzle added, generating applause.

Lenna took a hand count of the vote on the consumer fireworks ordinance, which was approximately 50-39 in favor of the ordinance.

Voters adopted the proposed $1,582,315 municipal spending plan for 2015-16, which is a 0.7-percent increase in current year spending. If the School Administrative District 75 and Sagadahoc County budgets pass as proposed, the tax rate would be expected to increase $0.35 per $1,000 of assessed value — and possibly less if there is an increase in the town valuation. Only $0.03 of the estimated tax rate increase is generated from proposed municipal spending.

During consideration of the fire department budget, increasing $8,323 for air tank replacement and building maintenance, Debbie Butler of the Bowdoinham Fire Department Auxiliary Group asked people to consider joining or volunteering for the group.

“The reason that the budget for the fire department is what it is, is because the Bowdoinham Fire Department Auxiliary spends a lot of its time and energy raising money for the specialized equipment that the fire department requires in addition to what the budget can buy,” Butler said. Currently, there are only three active members organizing and running the benefit suppers and pie sale.

dmoore@timesrecord.com

VOTERS ADOPTED the proposed $1,582,315 municipal spending plan for 2015-16, which is a 0.7- percent increase in current year spending. If the School Administrative District 75 and Sagadahoc County budgets pass as proposed, the tax rate would be expected to increase $0.35 per $1,000 of assessed value.