Harpswell’s annual Town Meeting will likely resume on April 5 at the Orion Performing Arts Center in Topsham after an unexpectedly large turnout forced officials to adjourn Saturday’s business session.
Town Administrator Kristi Eiane told the Select Board in a memo Tuesday, March 11, that Orion, which can hold more than 700 people, is available on that date. She said the town is working to finalize the location, at Mt. Ararat Middle School, 66 Republic Ave.
An estimated 450 to 480 voters showed up to the originally scheduled Town Meeting at Harpswell Community School’s gymnasium on Saturday, March 8, exceeding its capacity of 420. Town officials were forced to postpone the meeting, which they called an unprecedented move.
Eiane said the Maine Municipal Association advised Harpswell this week that because the meeting wasn’t postponed to a set date, it can be treated as a cancellation. That means the Select Board could choose to issue a new warrant and can revise, add, or remove articles from the original warrant.
Town officials are asking the Select Board for input on any changes before drafting the new warrant for approval by March 20. That would allow time to post the warrant throughout town and mail postcards notifying residents of the new meeting date.
One of the most pressing issues is passing the town’s 2025 budget, Eiane said. Some don’t require immediate action and could be moved to a secret ballot vote later in the year. The next scheduled election dates are Tuesday, June 10, for the school budget vote, followed by Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Any article placed on a secret ballot must be submitted to the town clerk at least 60 days in advance and requires a public hearing. If the board wants to move any warrant items to the June ballot, Eiane said, the deadline is April 11.
The Select Board is expected to take up the issue at its next meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 13, at the Town Office.
