Some 42 Dresden residents gathered at Pownalborough Hall on Saturday morning, June 14, to vote on $630,353 in appropriations with Jay Adams moderating the annual town meeting.

“The town is the legislative body,” Adams said, after explaining that selectman present were not the final decision-makers of the town but rather the “executive branch if you will. My job is to make sure you have as much information as you need to make an informed decision."

The town ambulance issue received the most attention with a final decision to go with the article as written to contract with Gardiner Ambulance with no contract fee required. For the past five years, the town has had a contract with Northeast Mobile Health Services.

Voters approved a measure to appropriate $3,000 to cover any unpaid services to people receiving them in Dresden. A representative of the Gardiner service said his operation makes three attempts to collect and after no success, turns the bills over to the town.

During the session, an announcements of the votes cast in Tuesday’s election last week preceded the articles, including incumbent Allan Moeller Sr., the victor in the only contested office as second selectman with 137 votes over Dale Hinote, who received 100 votes for the three-year term position.

When Town Clerk Kim Rzasa decided to resign after 14 straight years in that position (and three years interrupted by a few years prior to that), the town had no candidate nominated. After the meeting, the people present applauded her for her years of service to the community.

As a result votes made write-ins for Rzasa, 12 and Ann Pierce, 12. So the final decision will rest with selectmen and whether Pierce will accept the position if approved.

Other positions on the ballot for one-year terms and uncontested consisted of treasurer, Joseph Atkinson; property tax collector, Ann Pierce; excise tax collector, Ann Pierce; and budget review committee member with no one listed, Jeff Pierce obtained four write-in votes, which selectmen will decide.

Like clockwork, the meeting went from article to article with little or no discussion with the exception of a few articles that prompted questions for more information, such as the one concerning the ambulance contract change for this coming fiscal year.

Selectmen said they asked for offers from Wiscasset, which made no offer, and Northeast, which made an offer for a one-year contract which would require a $4,000 contract fee and another five-year contract requiring a $7,750 fee. The final figure amounts to an increase of $3,000 over last year.

Even though the town has provided the space for a part-time location for an ambulance in the Village firehouse and electricity, a Northeast representative said the fee covered expenses that the town did not cover.

Mostly unanimous in their decisions for 48 articles as written, Dresden residents present voted against the last two articles.

One failed article called for approval of proposed hours of operation for the town office and job descriptions for town clerk, treasurer, excise tax collector, and property tax collector. Dresden will stick with elections to choose those positions, rather than appointments, the subject of the other failed article.

Among accepted articles, one proposed placing an estimated $6,000 in fees received from Time Warner Cable in the recreational fund. Administrative Assistant Trudy Foss said the idea behind proposal concern for the youth of the community mainly. “We want to get the kids out,” she said.

Jessica Tyson, representing Midcoast Community Action, said, “I appreciate the support you’ve given in the past.” Due to the town vote Saturday, the nonprofit will receive $600 again this year.

Conspicuous among the nonprofits listed, Lincoln County Television will receive nothing of its requested $3,253. The manager video-taped the session Saturday.

The moderator brought the brief and tightly-run meeting to a close by 10:30 a.m.