Five residents, two of them incumbents, will vie for positions for Dresden town offices on the ballot for election Tuesday, June 9.

Incumbent First Selectman Phil Johnston will compete with Dale Hinote for the position.

For treasurer, incumbent Joseph Atkinson will vie for the office along with Kim Rzasa and Patricia Theriault.

The ballot lists unopposed candidates incumbent Patricia Theriault for town clerk, and incumbent Ann Pierce for property tax collector and excise tax collector and motor vehicle agent.

One resident, Bill Matthews, will appear on the ballot unopposed for school board membership.

The election consists of the first part of the annual town meeting with the secret balloting at Pownalborough Hall from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9.

The open annual meeting will be held Saturday, June 13 at 9 a.m. at Pownalborough Hall for voting on the town meeting warrant articles.

Tax acquired properties

The board brought up the question of the status of tax-acquired properties (TAPs) and the continuing plan it has had to dispose of them by selling them in order to put them back on the tax rolls.

A property with approximately 18 acres, which the board recently reduced to $14,900, was found to only have three acres of buildable land. A potential buyer’s recent attempt to purchase the property amounted to the second or third time a buyer had attempted to purchase it.

The real estate broker for the property suggested reducing the price to $9,900, leaving the board with a decision to make. The board previously reduced the price to the current $14,900.

“We don’t need to address a price change tonight,” Johnston said. “We need to ask for a further explanation in the report.”

Johnston reported in October 2013 that the total in taxes owed on TAPs in the community was $148,400 and now totals $121,000. Much of that amount concerns an additional 18 TAPS since 2013 with liens on them.

Johnston spoke about sending out eviction notices to residents who still live on the properties with tax liens on them.

“The full intent of the board is to dispose of the TAPs in earnest,” he said. “I think we’ve been patient enough.”

Pickleball court

What has become a new sport for adults has come to Dresden; it’s the result of an idea the Friends of Bridge Academy has for use of the tennis court on its property. It’s called pickleball, which is played much like badminton, with a similar racket, and a wiffleball.

Friends member Rick Graffam told the board about a plan to use the good part of the tennis court as a court for the new and trendy game sweeping across the nation.

Graffam sought $4,000 in funds from the town for repaving a section of the old tennis court now in disrepair, by July.

Graffam also spoke about another idea Friends leader Peter Walsh has for a fence around the basketball court to prevent balls from going off the court.

Flashing lights request

Selectmen raised the matter of a town request to the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT). The town requested LED lights around speed signs approaching the Village area on Route 27, Gardiner Road.

The town has also requested flashing traffic lights at the intersection of Route 27 and Route 197.

In the same discussion, the board mentioned the need of a no parking sign at the corner of the intersection where the Ship’s Chow Hall customers tend to park, blocking motorists’ view of oncoming traffic.

Parking there caused a problem in the past, which the board raised to the restaurant owners. Selectman Allan Moeller said the town has a sign it could place there to prevent further problems with parking.