The Westport Island selectmen’s meeting on Monday evening, May 16 was the scene of a lively discussion concerning the upcoming vote to fund the Squam Creek acquisition.

Carrie Kinne, executive director of the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust, took the selectmen and attendees through the proposal to acquire the Squam Creek preserve and other properties totaling 328, or 5.8 percent of the island’s 5,587 acres, excluding Whittum, Mark and Harper islands.

In addition to the Squam Creek preserve parcel of 222 acres and the 68-acre Bonyun Preserve, Kinne’s presentation included another potential 106 acres which have been targeted for possible acquisition by the land trust.  Those are Heal Cove and pond (55 acres) and parcels on Junction Road (51 acres).

Kinne pointed out that the Squam Creek parcel is “an area of national significance because of wetlands.” When questioned about the house on the property, she and Dennis Dunbar, president of the land trust’s board of directors, explained that the house will be destroyed.

Selectmen had asked KELT to attend Monday’s meeting to provide additional information about the ballot measure scheduled, with other ballot items, for a vote on June 14. The question that will be posed to voters is whether or not the town should provide $50,000 to help the trust acquire the property. The total price for the 144 acres is estimated to be $536,000 of which KELT is looking to raise $155,000 via a “community campaign match.”

George Richardson Jr., first selectman, questioned amounts shown in the presentation. Of particular issue was a page which equated the individual costs for the town’s residents to fund the first year of the $50,000 acquisition to an order of fries at McDonalds.

Richardson pointed out that the first year’s cost shown in the presentation, $3,743, didn’t include the loss of that year’s property taxes. The amount of those taxes is $6,291 which would mean that the first year’s cost to the town is $10,034.

Ruth Nelson, chairman of the island’s planning board, expressed her concerns about the additional costs to taxpayers.

“We have retired people living here who are struggling financially,” she said. “They can’t pay their property taxes now.”

Nelson added, “And not only are you asking for $50,000 from us but the town will also lose taxes on this property once it’s acquired. I am not in favor of this.”  She reminded the KELT representatives that the town has other obligations that require tax dollars. Dennis Dunbar suggested that KELT might offer a fee of some sort to the town.

Dunbar also provided the selectmen with two versions of a warrant article for the town meeting if the measure passes on June 14. One version is for a 20-year payback of the $50,000 and the other is for a 10-year payback.   

He also provided selectmen with a draft of the notice for a public hearing on the acquisition. The hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, May 26 at 7 p.m. at the town hall.