HARPSWELL

In preparing for its annual Town Meeting, Harpswell selectmen have voted to set a public hearing to raise and appropriate funds for Curtis Memorial Library on Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Harpswell is one of two municipalities to dedicate funding to the library, along with Brunswick. While Selectman Kevin Johnson was not present, Chairman Richard Daniel and Selectman Elinor Multer approved the hearing unanimously.

The board also approved public hearings for other proposed ballot articles for the Town Meeting, including a moratorium on recreational marijuana, on Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. The planning board has already held a number of public hearings for land use ordinances that may be voted on at the Town Meeting.

On Wednesday morning, Daniel and Multer convened an emergency meeting to make changes to one of the ballot questions for the March 11 Town Meeting. The item in question would change the road commissioner from an elected to an appointed position.

“The deadline for the selectmen to submit to the town clerk any articles that were going to be secret ballot articles for the March Town Meeting — the deadline is 45 days prior to the March Town Meeting, which was (Wednesday),” said Town Administrator Kristi Eiane.

While the selectmen had voted at their last meeting to have that question be a secret ballot article, Daniel had second thoughts and wanted to reconsider his vote, said Eiane. Johnson was able to phone into the meeting to express his opposition to the change, but did not vote on the motion. The two selectmen present, Daniel and Multer, voted to have the question discussed on the floor at the Town Meeting.

Also at Thursday’s meeting, the selectboard voted to appropriate $4,500 for a structural evaluation of the Mitchell Field water tower to determine the extent of deterioration to its foundation and whether the structure would be safe “as is” for the next 3-5 years.

nstrout@timesrecord.com

Water tower funds

• ALSO ON THURSDAY, the selectboard voted to appropriate $4,500 for a structural evaluation of the Mitchell Field water tower to determine the extent of deterioration to its foundation and whether the structure would be safe “as is” for the next 3-5 years.