Camden goes with a straight ‘yes’ on state and municipal ballots
CAMDEN — The unofficial tallies are in at the Camden polls, with 2,383 voters casting ballots Nov. 2 on state questions and municipal warrant articles.
For the state questions, it was wide margin for the first two, but on Question 3, concerning the Constitutional Amendment and the right to, “grow, raise, harvest, produce and consume the food of their own choosing for their own nourishment, sustenance, bodily health and well-being,” it was a slimmer 194-vote difference.
Question 1, Do you want to ban the construction of high-impact electric transmission lines in the Upper Kennebec Region and to require the Legislature to approve all other such projects anywhere in Maine, both retroactively to 2020, and to require the Legislature, retroactively to 2014, to approve by a two-thirds vote such projects using public land?
YES: 1,536
NO: 812
Question 2, Do you favor a $100,000,000 bond issue to build or improve roads, bridges, railroads, airports, transit facilities and ports and make other transportation investments, to be used to leverage an estimated $253,000,000 in federal and other funds?
YES: 2,044
NO: 304
Question 3, Constitutional Amendment
Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to declare that all individuals have a natural, inherent and unalienable right to grow, raise, harvest, produce and consume the food of their own choosing for their own nourishment, sustenance, bodily health and well-being?
YES: 1,272
NO: 1,078
Camden Municipal Results
YES: 1,860
NO: 419
Question 3: Shall the Town amend Camden Zoning Ordinance, Article IX Open Space Zoning, Section 2 Applicability; Section 3 General Standards (1) within the Rural-1 District; (2) within the Rural-2 District; and (3) within the Coastal Residential Zone so as to revise existing standards and provide for more flexible and affordable open space development.
YES: 1698
NO: 594
Question 4: Shall the Town approve the Charter revision dated September 13, 2021, as recommended by the Charter Commission?
YES: 1,732
NO: 294
Question 5: Shall the Town vote to authorize the Town Manager to execute and receive certain easements to and from land owners abutting the sewer line running from southerly side of Atlantic Avenue to an existing Town sewer pump station at the northerly end of the Lyman Morse property (Camden Properties, LLC, Tax Map, 124, Lot 4) so as to clarify the location of the new forced main, allow for temporary construction rights, and release areas of prior sewer easements from the Town back to abutting owners that are no longer needed or necessary, all as depicted on a survey entitled “Sewer Easement Plan”, the Town of Camden by Gartley & Dorsky, dated January 13, 2021
YES: 1,899
NO: 210
Question 6: Do you favor changing the method of voting on the Annual Town Budget to paper ballot (referendum) instead of the current method of voting in person by show of hands at the open Town Meetings?
YES: 1,685
NO: 422
ARTICLE 2 addresses municipal attempts to ease parking requirements downtown.
Click here to read the proposed amendment changes in detail.
ARTICLE 3 proposes easing rural zoning so as to encourage more types of workforce, affordable and congregate housing. It does away with frontage requirements and allows for common ownership structures, including houses, barns and equipment storage.
Click here to read the specific proposed changes to the town’s zoning ordinance.
ARTICLE 4 asks Camden voters to consider proposed changes to the Charter.
The town wrote in its explanatory note: Town charter is a document that defines the organization, powers, functions and essential procedures of the town government. The structure and main body of the current Charter was adopted over 40 years ago. While some specific amendments have been adopted since that time, there is a belief that a comprehensive Charter revision was necessary to eliminate inconsistencies with State Law and current practices, and to best reflect current times and methods of conducting the citizens’ business.
Select Board Recommends: 5-0-0
For more information about the charter changes, read: What are the proposed changes to Camden’s Charter?
ARTICLE 5 asks voters their opinion on certain sewer easements along Atlantic Avenue.
In its explanatory note, the town wrote: Securing these easement agreements will allow the Town to proceed with replacing the sewer force main that currently runs under the Camden Harbor from the Sea Street pump station to Bay View Street pump station. The new sewer force main will run overland from the Sea Street pump station across the back of the properties on Sea Street, down Atlantic Avenue to connect the portion of the force main that was installed on Main Street and Commercial Street to the Bay View Street pump station on the Public Landing.
ARTICLE 6 is the result of a debate that the Charter Commission had with the Select Board concerning how to ask voters if they want to do away with the current, and age-old method of holding town meeting.
The town wrote in its explanatory note: Due to the state of emergency caused by the pandemic, the town’s citizens have voted on the annual budget appropriations and borrowing by paper ballot, either by absentee or at the Camden Public Safety Building, for two consecutive years. This non-binding article is to gauge voters’ interest in having the Town continue that method of voting on the budget. Any recommendation for a change to the Charter to vote by referendum (paper ballot) will require public hearings and approval by the voters of the Town.
