Wiscasset’s second vote on the planning budget is Thursday, Aug 24. Selectmen set the date Monday morning. The open town meeting at Wiscasset Elementary School starts at 6 p.m.

The warrant article stems from a petition and proposes the same amount voters rejected in June, $66,764. Monday’s 3-2 vote followed several minutes of debate on a number of points, including when to hold the town vote, and by referendum or open town meeting.

Selectman Ben Rines Jr. said excluding absentee voters, after a third of the June votes were absentee, was “giving ... the finger” to those who would not be able to attend a town meeting.

Selectman Jeff Slack said a town meeting lets voters talk through an issue and find a compromise.

Rines and Selectman Bob Blagden dissented in Monday’s vote. Rines also asked why the board was meeting then instead of taking up the matter at the Aug. 22 board meeting. He asked what the emergency was. “Is the municipality on fire?”

Chairman Judy Colby said the town vote was supposed to be held within 60 days of the petition’s filing; and if the planning budget passes, it could be included in the tax commitment, Colby said.

Slack said he is looking at proposing a lower planning budget at the special town meeting, with fewer hours for the planner, possibly 30 or 32 instead of 40. Asking for the same amount voters rejected would be disrespectful, Slack said.

Thirty-two hours would provide benefits, making it easier to fill the position, Colby said.  That would be a good compromise, she said. “Let’s explore that.”

The board could also consider contracting for planning services rather than hiring a planner, Town Manager Marian Anderson said. Ben Averill, town planner for the last year and a half, went to work for Auburn after funding ran out for his Wiscasset job.

Also Monday, selectmen and Anderson spoke on the lack of other planning funds as a result of the planning budget’s defeat. Anderson said the town’s historic preservation commission has nine new proposals to consider, but there is no funding for required notifications. Anderson said after the meeting, she expects to ask selectmen Aug. 22 to tap contingency for the money.

Selectman Katharine Martin-Savage said the town needs a planner for grant-writing and helping with boards. She wondered if the town will look to the county for more help on planning. She, Colby and Slack voted in the majority for the Aug. 24 town vote.