When all the votes have been counted Tuesday, Nov. 5, Wiscasset should know if it is staying in Regional School Unit 12 or breaking away.

Proponents of a pullout say the town can pare costs and take back control of its schools; public statements flatly against withdrawal have been scarce, but cost concerns have been raised.

The school district's superintendent Howard Tuttle said he is very anxious to see what Wiscasset does.

The other towns could see a short-term benefit from Wiscasset's $1.5 million payout to withdraw, but Wiscasset's exit would be detrimental in other ways, Tuttle said.

“There are a lot of talented teachers in Wiscasset, and wonderful students and parents. It would be a tremendous loss,” he said.

Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Wiscasset Community Center.

The ballot also offers new rules for roads and adult entertainment; and a proposed loan to match federal money for sewer work; two more questions may or may not give selectmen a clear read on how residents would want to cover costs to leave the school district.

That's because one, both, or neither of the withdrawal funding options could pass. The ballot tells voters: “Since they are alternates, you should vote yes on one article and no on the other.” Despite the instruction, however, Town Manager Laurie Smith said the potential is there for any outcome.

Passage of each option gives selectmen the authority to fund up to $2 million in withdrawal costs, one, via a loan; the other, by tapping the town's reserve fund.

Voting for one option and against the other would help make the town's wishes clear to selectmen, Smith said.

Ballots with yes votes on both options, or no on both, will still be counted, Town Clerk Christine Wolfe said.

Selectmen are recommending the loan; the budget committee opposes both options. Budget committee members have said the loan would be better, but that the town should wait to decide on funding until after the withdrawal vote.

With just days left to vote absentee, 125 absentee ballots had been issued, Wolfe said October 28.

Absentee ballots are available at the town clerk's office until 5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 31.

They're all due back by the close of polls Tuesday night. They can still be accepted at the town clerk's office until 4 p.m. on election day, or anytime from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the polls that day, Wolfe said.

Selectmen recommend sewer loan

After the ballot's first three questions about the withdrawal and its funding, voters face a proposed $974,000 loan for sewer projects. The money would go with a $226,000 federal grant.

The projects include replacing a main along Birch Point Road, between Bath Road and Two Bridges Road; upgrading pump stations on Route 218, Old Bath Road and Willow Lane; and replacing aging equipment at the treatment plant.

At an interest rate of up to 2.75 percent, the 29-year loan is projected to cost about $49,000 a year, according to town officials. Administrators are recommending the payments come from a combination of user fees and capital improvement money from the town's reserve fund.

However, selectmen and voters would make those decisions annually, Smith said.

In opposing the loan, budget committee members cited uncertainty over how the payments would be funded.

The sewer projects will need to be done with or without the grant, Smith said. The Department of Rural Development's offer is the best deal the town stands to get to help with funding the work, she said.

Road rules

Proposed new road standards would step up requirements as development increases a road's traffic demands. According to town officials, a tiered system would kick in when a third lot is proposed on a shared drive; improvements would be called for when four to 10 houses are proposed, and again at 11 houses or more.

“(H)aving roads built to standards that support the anticipated traffic ... will ensure safety vehicles access residences safely in ... emergencies,” an informational sheet from the town states.

The planning board would have some leeway, according to the informational sheet. “The ordinance approaches all roads with an understanding that each road is not created equal and, in unanticipated situations, flexibility is granted to the Planning Board ...,” it states.

Adult entertainment

Another ordinance on the ballot would set new rules for adult entertainment businesses, including where they can go. They would need 1,500-foot setbacks from churches, schools, parks, ballfields and other public recreation spots, and a 250-foot setback from a home's property line.

The town would bar the businesses from letting in anyone under the age of 18; and would ban silhouettes and other pictures from signs outside the businesses.