Westport Island select board approves ordinance certifications, warrant and routine finances; debates assessor practices and application processing

The Westport Island select board met at 6:00 a.m. on June 1 and certified two municipal ordinance amendments for the June 2026 ballot, approved the town warrant for upcoming elections and town meeting, accepted several accounts payable and payroll items, appointed election officers and accepted a contract for animal-control services.

The board’s chair opened the meeting and moved to certify amendments to the building code (sections described in the motion as “section 13 r” and “section 17”) and to the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (referenced as sections 15 t and 17). Both certification motions were seconded and approved by voice votes; the chair asked that the signed warrants and certification copies be posted and also made available online for proper legal posting timelines.

The board approved routine financial items: accounts payable #100And1 for $12,825.86; payroll #102 for $2,664.44; accounts payable #100And3 for $6,533.70; and payroll #100And4 for $2,066.71. The chair said the town will sign the documents and proceed with usual payment procedures.

During citizen’s issues, a resident identified as Mario asked the board to explain a prior property-tax abatement he said had been approved for three years and raised concerns about an outside appraiser’s inspection practices. Mario asserted the appraiser did not inspect the interior of a cottage and questioned depreciation calculations; board members directed him to provide documentation and said staff (including Ashley) would follow up to clarify which abatement rules applied and to reconcile the property card records.

A resident also asked how the town prevents fraudulent electronic transfers after citing a $187,000 fraud reported in another town. Board members said the town monitors payment activity, that Ashley oversees payments closely and that the town uses a cybersecurity company that quarantines suspicious emails; the board said staff would continue to improve payment controls.

Under select-board business the board accepted a contract for animal-control services with Midcoast Humane. The fee for services was stated as $1,157.59, based on a per-capita rate of $1.61 and the town population of 719 from the 2020 census. The chair moved to accept the contract and the board approved the motion and instructed staff to execute the agreement.

The board made several appointments: Jack Swanton to the history committee as an associate member; Susan Gallagher as an alternate on the conservation commission; Carol Norris as election clerk; Meg Skidmore as election warden; and a slate of ballot clerks including Deborah Williams, Anne Cole Fairfield, Jessica Bailey and others. Each appointment was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.

Members approved three updated job descriptions related to the CEO/deputy roles and authorized a job posting for the position(s). Discussion focused on how enforcement responsibilities and reporting relationships between a CEO and a deputy CEO would be managed; board members said they expect to monitor the arrangement closely once a hire is made.

The board approved a revised land-use permit application form intended to streamline permitting and said it will test the form and revise it as needed. Staff and board members then discussed a new process to scan and centrally log incoming permit applications so that staff can see when an application has been submitted. The town’s code enforcement officer (CEO) raised concerns about perceived micromanagement and the need for clarity about who processes applications, while staff emphasized redundancy and public-service benefits from having a centralized log. The board agreed to trial the scanning process and refine procedures.

The meeting closed after the chair moved to adjourn; the motion was seconded and approved.

Votes at a glance - Certified proposed building-code amendments for June 2026 ballot — approved (motion carried by voice vote). - Certified proposed Shoreland Zoning Ordinance amendments for June 2026 ballot — approved (motion carried by voice vote). - Approved warrant for town election and meeting (including secret ballot and open town meeting dates in June 2026) — approved. - Accepted accounts payable #100And1 for $12,825.86; accounts payable #100And3 for $6,533.70; payroll #102 for $2,664.44; payroll #100And4 for $2,066.71 — all approved. - Accepted Midcoast Humane contract for animal-control services (fee $1,157.59) — approved. - Appointments (Jack Swanton; Susan Gallagher; Carol Norris; Meg Skidmore; listed ballot clerks) — all approved. - Approved revised land-use permit application form — approved.

What’s next The board said the warrant and ordinance certifications will be posted, the June ballot and town meeting will proceed as scheduled, staff will follow up with Mario about the abatement and appraisal concerns, and the board will test the revised permit application and centralized scanning process and report back at a future meeting.

Quotes "Do I have a second?" — Chair (moved multiple motions during the meeting). "I have minutes from a meeting where you guys approved an arrangement, and... right away you approved it for 3 years." — Mario, on a past abatement he questioned. "We have a cybersecurity company that oversees that. I'll get emails kicked back to me that have been quarantined." — Staff member, on email/account security.

Sources: Westport Island select board meeting transcript (meeting segments from opening through adjournment).