The legitimacy of two articles passed at Woolwich’s May 13 special town meeting were called into question Monday night; one dealing with funding for the Patton Free Library, and the other to initiate pay-per-bag for non-recyclable trash.

Don Adams raised the issue with the board of selectmen saying one of his concerns was how the moderator, John Chapman, had handled the proceedings.

Following the deliberations on the pay-per-bag article, Chapman called for a voice vote and brought the gavel down in favor of the nays. When a voter challenged his ruling, a paper ballot decided the article, 114 to 105 in favor of its passage.

Funding for the library, also by paper ballot, passed by a wider margin, 168 to 76.

Adams felt debate had been cutoff too soon. He also also took issue with what he said was a lack of effort on the part of the ballot clerks to insure no illegitimate votes were cast. The way the ballots were handed out and collected created an atmosphere where anyone could have voted, he added.

“It’s about protecting the sanctity of the vote,” he said. Adams had petitioned earlier to have the library vote taken at the November general election when voter turnout is the highest. The turnout for the special town meeting was large, but represented only about 10 percent of the registered voters.

Selectmen’s Chairman David King Sr. said the moderator, town clerk and ballot clerks had handled the proceedings appropriately.

Ballot clerks gave voters numbered paper slips to serve as ballots as they entered the gymnasium. The ballots were used on the library question. When the pay-per-bag vote was taken, paper slips were handed out to the audience. After the voting, the ballots were passed to the aisles, collected and counted. The result was read aloud by the moderator later in the meeting.

“You never checked who was voting?” Adams said, adding the process could have influenced the outcome.

King told Adams if he felt that strongly about the issue he could circulate a petition to have pay-per-bag, or the library funding reconsidered. He said the town meeting had continued on for an hour after those articles had been decided. Not one resident had challenged the legitimacy of either vote, he said. Why wait a week to bring up these concerns, he asked.

Adams said he felt strongly that the board should delay action on both articles. He asked that his concerns be put into the meeting’s minutes as part of the public record.

King said as far as he was concerned the town’s legislative body had rendered its decision, but stressed both items could be reconsidered next year, or sooner, if petitioned. It’s whatever the townspeople decide, he added.

On Tuesday morning, King told the newspaper the Maine Municipal Association (MMA) had advised him the time to have challenged the town meeting votes on the pay-per-bag, and library questions was when the meeting was in session.

Later the board instructed Fred Kahrl, chairman of the solid waste and recycling committee, to contact WasteZero informing them the pay-per-bag plan had been approved. The board would like to start the program on July 1 to coincide with the town’s fiscal year.

Joan Jordan reported she’d gotten a reasonable price for construction of a handicap accessibility dock at the town’s swimming area. The selectmen suggested she meet with the town administrator in hopes of securing grant monies for the work. Matching funds are available.

Selectmen will meet with the road commissioner and a private contractor to inspect a portion of Dana Mill Road. Road Commissioner Jack Shaw felt the contractor had caused damages to the road and was obligated to do repair work.

Selectmen held off signing a contract with the Bath ambulance department pending an opinion from Maine Municipal Association. The contract would be for Bath to provide backup ambulance services for a fee on a per-call basis.

King said MAA informed him Tuesday the selectboard had no authority to enter into a contract with the Bath ambulance department without first getting approval for funding this from voters.

Clinton Hilliker, age 98, will be the town’s next recipient of the Boston Post Cane, given to the oldest resident. The ceremonial cane will be presented to him by the selectmen in the near future.

Selectmen signed the RSU 1 warrant. The vote on the school budget will be taken on Tuesday, June 9. The polls, open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., are located at Woolwich Central School.