Westport Island selectmen on April 9 reviewed a March 28 letter from Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) Executive Director Carrie Kinne in response to a board request.

On March 26, Kinne and Westport Island resident Dennis Dunbar requested a reduction of the remaining five percent of property taxes for three parcels. The total assessed value is $58,327. The town granted a tax reduction in 2017 which lowered KELT’s obligation by 95 percent, or $7,699. At that meeting, KELT was granted a further reduction of the remaining taxes of $384.96.

At the same meeting, First Selectman George D. Richardson reminded Kinne and Dunbar of their 2016 proposal to offer the town monetary compensation in lieu of taxes.  

Dunbar, then-president of the land trust’s board of directors, suggested KELT might offer a fee of some sort to the town. The fee was to offset the loss in property taxes if KELT acquired the Segerstrom property on Squam Creek.

On March 26, selectmen requested KELT make a contribution to one of the island’s non-profit community service organizations per its offer in 2016. Kinne and Dunbar said they would take the request back to the KELT board of directors.

In the March 28 response, Kinne thanked selectmen for approving KELT’s request for property tax exemptions.

Kinne wrote that “...We agreed to talk with our Board of Directors about the voluntary contributions to Town nonprofit organizations as a way of recognizing the Town’s services provided to the land trust.” The letter continued, “As we mentioned, we have not been asked for such contributions or payments by the other eight towns we serve.”

Kinne continued, “...We recognize the special generosity of the citizens of Westport Island...,” referencing the 2016 town vote to contribute $50,000 toward the acquisition of the Squam Island property by KELT. The letter also mentioned the benefits to the community currently provided by the land trust.

In phone interviews with the Wiscasset Newspaper, Kinne and Dunbar said the request for a contribution had not yet been heard by KELT’s board of directors. “It’s up for discussion,” Kinne said. “We’ll talk about it at our next board meeting in May.”

Commenting on the letter, Richardson said residents were mixed in their opinions about the benefits of the acquisition. Richardson said the 2016 vote of 127 for and 84 against did not reflect all of the island’s 500-plus registered voters.  

Selectmen also reminded residents the board will not meet on Monday, April 16, due to the Patriot’s Day holiday.