WATERVILLE $ Residents wanting to vote in person Nov. 3 $ the day before the presidential election $ will not have that option.

City councilors voted 6-1 Tuesday night to eliminate in-person voting because of large numbers of residents expected to vote, resulting in a larger than normal workload for city employees.

The council decision follows a vote by the state Legislature earlier this year that prohibits people from voting absentee in front of a town or city clerk the day before the election if the town agrees to do that.

Deputy City Clerk Kim Lane said Wednesday that her office expects to process about 5,000 absentee ballots and has received 130-150 requests for absentee ballots in the last two weeks alone.

The clerk's office will be closed Nov. 3 so that officials can process absentee ballots.

"It's very, very important we have that extra time," Lane told councilors Tuesday.

To make up for the change, the clerk's office will be open the previous Saturday, Nov. 1, for people wanting to vote in person.

Lane noted that in special cases, people will be able to pick up an absentee ballot from the office Nov. 3 to be filled out and returned to that office. She cited as an example someone who needs a ballot for her mother who is in the hospital and did not have a chance to vote earlier.

Councilor Henry Beck, D-Ward 2, asked if there is no other staff who could handle absentee ballot processing on Monday morning but Lane said only a limited number of employees are authorized to do that. Beck was the sole dissenter in approving elimination of in-person voting Nov. 3.

In other matters, councilors voted to amend a bid award for $65,408 to buy three 2009 Ford replacement police cruisers from Darling's Ford of Bangor. The price includes the trade-in value of two 2005 cruisers and the third cruiser, initially proposed as a trade-in, will instead be purchased by Arbo's Towing & Repair Service for $3,500. Arbo's plans to donate the car to the Kennebec County Sheriff's Office for use by the Waterville sex offender resource officer.

Police Chief Joseph Massey on Wednesday praised Arbo's for its help, saying the business has helped the community in various ways in the past.

"They certainly have been a good business partner for the community," Massey said. "We were really scrambling to find another cruiser for the sex offender resource officer program which I think is critical. That program has been very, very successful and it requires a car and they were gracious enough to step up and buy the car for us and donate it right back to program. And we appreciate that."

Councilors also voted to:

n Buy a four-wheel-drive half-ton pick up truck for $22,136 from O'Connor Motors, Inc. of Augusta, to be used by the city's superintendent of operations and maintenance.

n Use $5,000 from $20,000 previously approved for operating and maintaining a cross-country ski trail at Quarry Road recreation area to buy some adjoining land.

n Issue a food and liquor license to Lopes Restaurant Management Group LLC, doing business as "Cacciatores Restaurant" at 150 JFK Plaza on Kennedy Memorial Drive.

n Issue food licenses to Judith Violette, for "Off the Eaten Path" located at 72 Armory Road and Matt T LLC for KFC/Taco Bell at 450 Kennedy Memorial Drive.
n Issue a special amusement permit to Applebee's Restaurant North LLC to allow for the restaurant to have karaoke.

n Award a contract for winter road salt at $73,26 per ton for a total of $183,150 to International Salt Co., LLC, of Clarks Summit, Pa.

n Accept a $6,048 state grant for police overtime pay for enforcement of seat belt and operating under the influence laws on holidays.

Amy Calder $ 861-9247
acalder@centralmaine.com