CHAPMAN, Maine — The town of Chapman held its annual town meeting on Monday, March 23, at the Chapman Ridge Runners building, electing two members of the Chapman Select Board, a town assessor and voting on various budgetary measures for the year.
As many towns across Maine chose to cancel their annual town meetings in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chapman decided to go through with its meeting, albeit with a limited number of people in attendance.
Chapman Town Manager Sandra Fournier said there was a modest turnout, “as planned” with COVID-19 guidelines. She said eight people attended in total.
Fournier said that due to CDC rules on gatherings, staff would not have allowed more than 10 residents inside the building. She and other town staff encouraged low attendance from Chapman residents by letting them know that there were not any “highly contentious” articles under debate that would require a “higher than normal” attendance.
She said seats were spread six feet apart during the meeting and hand sanitizer was available for residents and staff.
Chapman residents re-elected Patricia Sutherland to a three-year term as a selectperson and town assessor. Charles Beaulieu was also re-elected for a three-year term as a selectperson. Both candidates were nominated and voted into office by meeting attendees, per Chapman election guidelines.
Dozens of measures, primarily budgetary, were also adopted by the town’s residents based on recommendations from the select board. The town voted to charge 9 percent interest on taxes unpaid on Nov. 1. It also voted to allow a 1 percent discount on taxes paid in the first 20 days after the date of a bill.
The town did not vote to increase the current property tax levy limit of $181,237.
Chapman residents voted to raise and appropriate $19,906 for general government, $18,477 for the fire department, $6,722 for public safety, $7,170 for community services and $65,536 for a reserve account.
Fournier said the town adopted all of the select board’s recommendations.
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