GARLAND – It took three years for town officials to convince local residents to adopt a building notification ordinance and even then it was a close vote.

Residents voted 48-44 at the annual town meeting Saturday to enact the ordinance that merely requires residents to notify the town if they plan to build or to remodel.

The same request was defeated at two previous annual town meetings.

It also took the same number of years to garner support for the opening of four-tenths of a mile on Pullen Road to winter maintenance, and to amend the shoreland zoning map to reclassify a parcel near Holts Mills Pond from resource protection to limited residential.

These warrant articles generated discussion and also ended in close votes. The vote on the Pullen Road request was 49-41, and the vote for the zone change was 50-46.

Also generating much discussion was the snowmobile reimbursement given to the town, according to Dot Robinson, who was re-elected town clerk. She said some residents spoke about the condition of the trails or the lack of trails in some areas, before the warrant article was amended. As approved, the snowmobile reimbursement will be given to the Frosty Valley Snowsledders at the discretion of the Board of Selectmen.

Residents also voted to join the Penobscot Energy Recovery Co. and agreed to raise $8,000 for town mowing and grounds upkeep. About $5,500 of this amount will be used to purchase a mower, Robinson said.

The following were elected to office: David Olson, selectman; Florence Turek, cemetery trustee; Dorene Adams, assessor; and Art Jette, school director. The latter two positions were contested. Adams received 40 votes to Jane Gauthier’s 31 votes. Jette received 52 voted to Susan Nightingale’s 28 votes.