The Harpswell Select Board is advising voters to reject the possibility of a solar farm at George J. Mitchell Field and approve borrowing for a boat launch at the site.
Voters will decide those questions and three others on the local ballot for Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
The other questions involve changes to a local shellfish ordinance, the use of coronavirus relief funds for emergency services, and distributing state-issued disaster recovery funds to six waterfront property owners. The Select Board voted unanimously Sept. 5 to recommend approval of all articles except for the one regarding the solar array.
A public hearing for residents to weigh in on the five articles is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3, at Harpswell Community School.
Absentee ballots will be available at the Town Office from Monday, Oct. 7, through Thursday, Oct. 31. Polls will be open on Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Harpswell Community School.
Boat launch
Voters will decide whether to allow the town to borrow up to $1.15 million to fund the construction of a public boat launch at Mitchell Field.
The article reads, “To see if the Town will vote to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds or notes in the name of the Town of Harpswell in a principal amount not to exceed $1,150,500, which bonds or notes may be made callable, to be combined with existing Town appropriations and State grant funds to design, permit, construct and equip an all-tide boat launch and related site improvements at Mitchell Field.”
The total cost to build the boat launch is estimated at roughly $2 million, more than twice the original estimate. That figure includes a contingency of 20% to cover any unanticipated costs.
The plan includes a boat launch that would be usable at all tides, as well as floats, an access road and turning area, new parking, a stub pier that could be used to add a wheelchair-accessible ramp and floats in the future, and other elements.
Nearly $500,000 of local funds already have been appropriated for the project, along with about $360,000 in previously awarded state grants. Town officials have said those grants, from the Maine Department of Transportation, could be lost if Harpswell doesn’t move ahead with the project soon.
The estimated interest on the bonds, if paid over 10 years, would be as much as $240,000. Therefore, the total repayment amount would max out at just under $1.4 million, according to the referendum article.
Residents have expressed opposing views about the project. Some have objected to the cost and associated parking requirements, while others have said more public launches are needed for those who don’t own shorefront property.
Solar array
Local residents also will be asked to decide whether the Select Board should enter into negotiations with a developer to install a solar farm at Mitchell Field.
The article reads, “To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to enter into a multi-year lease agreement, not to exceed 25 years, for a commercial solar farm, not to exceed 5 acres, at Mitchell Field, on terms and conditions that the Select Board deems to be in the best interest of the Town.”
South Portland-based ReVision Energy has proposed building a 5-acre, 1.25-megawatt solar array that would offset more than 1.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year, equivalent to the energy use of 219 homes, or more than 2.7 million vehicle miles.
However, some local officials have criticized ReVision’s proposed lease rate of $8,000 to $10,000 per year as too low. The town issued a letter in July requesting expressions of interest from other area solar firms, but none responded.
Citing the low revenue potential and apparent lack of community support for the project, the Select Board voted unanimously on Sept. 5 not to recommend approval of the referendum question.
Unspent relief funds
Another referendum article asks residents to decide whether Harpswell should allocate nearly $70,000 in unspent federal coronavirus relief funds for emergency services.
It reads, “To see if the Town will vote to (1) appropriate $54,720 from Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (also known as American Rescue Plan Act or ARPA funds) received by the Town from the federal government and (2) appropriate previously approved but unspent ARPA funds for emergency services and emergency communications equipment including a thermal imaging camera. Previously unspent ARPA funds total approximately $14,636 at this time.”
Shellfish ordinance
In addition, voters will consider several proposed amendments to the town’s shellfish ordinance, intended to bring it in line with state requirements.
The article reads, “Shall an Ordinance entitled ‘2024 Amendments to the Harpswell Shellfish Ordinance’ be enacted? The Ordinance is available for review and inspection at the Town Clerk’s Office, on the Town’s website … and at the polling place.”
Harpswell officials have explained that the proposed amendments were requested by the Maine Department of Marine Resources. They would codify an existing discount licensing program for older adults, make changes to the lottery system for acquiring a license, and require lifetime licenses to be renewed annually, among other changes.
Waterfront grants
The final article asks voters to authorize the town to administer state grants awarded to local waterfront businesses and property owners impacted by back-to-back coastal storms in January.
The article reads, “To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Town to accept Working Waterfront Resiliency Grant funding from the State of Maine and to administer the Grant, including making grant disbursements to recipients of the Working Waterfront Resiliency Grant Program.”
Six working waterfront property owners in Harpswell are set to receive a total of nearly $1.2 million in state grants intended to support recovery and rebuilding from damage caused by the storms.
Sam Lemonick contributed to this story.
