Westport Islanders will be happy to hear that a public addressing (PA) system will be installed at the town’s historic town hall, and it is expected to be ready for the town’s annual town meeting June 22.

The old building, built 1770, as served as the Westport’s town hall since 1885, and for almost as many years, it has been the site of the annual town meeting.

The selectmen approved the purchase and installation of a new system to be installed at the town hall at a cost of $513, with $500 of the money to be paid from the Doggett Trust, and the balance from the town hall maintenance account.

Westport Island resident and former selectman Jack Swanton was credited by Town Hall Committee Chairman Bill Cooney for getting the system at the low cost.

Traffic mirror

An accident on Route 144, and the Ferry Road, January 10, took down the traffic mirror and the pole it was mounted on. Selectmen notified the insurance company of the person responsible for the accident. The town will be submitting a claim for a new mirror and pole.

According to Selectman Gerald Bodmer, before a new mirror can be mounted, the town will need a new 22-foot pole inserted into the same location as the other pole.

Selectmen will request bids for the replacement of the mirror and the pole replacement.

The mirror was put in place in 2010 to assist motorists turning left from Ferry Road to see northbound traffic coming off the Island.

Greenleaf Cove

Selectmen took no action on the Greenleaf Cove Association’s second application for Open Space designation (this application is for the 2012 tax year).

An application for Open Space Designation was denied by the town for the 2011 tax year, and has been appealed to the state Board of Property Tax Review.

Following a day and a half of testimony before the State Board of Property Tax Review last month, representatives of the Greenleaf Cove Association and the Town of Westport Island were required to submit evidentiary materials and other documentation to each other and to the state board.  

The information requested by the state must be submitted by April 19; the state board has allowed another 10 days for both sides to respond in a brief, and the state board will meet in May to decide on the appeal on the 2011 tax year.

Since the state board’s decision is not expected before April 1's filing deadline for abatements, the new application is being filed in the event that the petition is not acted on.

 Greenleaf Cove Association’s appeal to the State Board of Property Tax Review Board is based on the refusal of the assessors to abate a tax for the 2011 year. The application for an appeal is for 1.1 acres of land referred to as the “Common Lot” for the association, a nonprofit homeowners association on Westport Island.

According to information received from the town, the assessed value of the land is $272,260, with a tax rate of $7 per $1,000, the taxes amount to about $1,900 per year.

The common lot within a homeowners association is shared by the property owners within the association, which includes the responsibility sharing the cost of maintenance and taxes of the common lot. There are about 10 homeowners in the Greenleaf Cove Association who share in the 1.1 acres being requested to go into open space.

The association is requesting a 20 percent reduction for Ordinary Open Space, plus 25 percent for Public Access.

Charlotte Boynton can be reached at 207-844-4632 or cboynton@wiscassetnewspaper.com.