On Nov. 4, Falmouth voters will decide two long-pressing questions in Falmouth: the fate of the long-debated pesticide and fertilizer ordinance and whether the Public Works building will be renovated.

Voting will take place at Falmouth High School in the gym from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 4. Absentee ballots are now available to request online or at Town Hall. 

Falmouth residents will also cast votes on two state referendum questions. Read below about the two municipal questions and how to learn more.

Question 1: Should amendments to the pesticide and fertilizer ordinance be repealed?

After the Town Council passed amendments to the pesticide and fertilizer ordinance on May 28 — for the second time — over 1,200 Falmouth residents signed a petition calling for a repeal referendum on the contentious ordinance.

The new ordinance builds on a 2020 pesticide and fertilizer ordinance while also banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides and any non-synthetic substance listed as “prohibited” on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. It also prohibits pesticide and fertilizer applications within 75 feet of any body of water or within 20 feet of a storm drain and requires retailers of pesticides and fertilizers to indicate which chemicals are allowed in Falmouth.

In accordance with the town charter, the petition temporarily suspended the ordinance and the Town Council could either repeal the ordinance or place it on the November ballot. Councilors unanimously chose the latter. Now, voters can decide whether the amendments are reinstated or repealed.

The public vote comes after those opposed to the ordinance argued that the Town Council did not fairly represent the opinions of Falmouth residents when approving the ordinance amendments. In a survey about how residents felt about the first draft of the updated ordinance, over 57% of the 600 Falmouth residents who responded disapproved of it. No survey on public opinion has been conducted since.

Question 2: Should the Public Works building be renovated?

The Public Works building, built in 1969, is an aging facility lacking storage and forcing Public Works employees to work in tight quarters. This fall, voters will decide if the building gets renovated and expanded for a project cost of $13.7 million.

For a Falmouth homeowner, the estimated property tax increase to fund the project is approximately $161.50 per year after three years for a home valued at $850,000.

The Town Council put the bond referendum on the ballot following a public information campaign about the need to upgrade municipal buildings in the town, offering tours of the buildings and information sessions about the projects regularly since the spring. The two other buildings — the Fire Department’s West Station and Central Station — were not approved for the ballot by the Town Council, which said further examination of these projects had to be done prior to a public vote.

As for the Public Works building project, the Town Council officially recommends the approval of this article.