PERRY – It took voters about 20 minutes at a special town meeting Tuesday to approve a plan by the Passamaquoddy Tribe to build a $20 million aviation and aerospace maintenance and manufacturing plant on tribal land.

The vote was 72-18.

The vote was in marked contrast to another project Perry voters turned down in March. Although the tribe offered them $1 million a year for the life of the project, Perry voters rejected a proposal to build a liquefied natural gas terminal on the same land.

Tuesday night, voters also approved $2,170 as the annual appropriation for the Washington Hancock Community Agency and $525 for the Eastern Agency on Aging. The funds are to be appropriated from surplus.

After those two questions were quickly dispensed with, voters turned to Article 5 and the proposed aviation facility.

Except for two questions, there was no real discussion about the proposal. An informational meeting was held last month at which tribal officials talked about the nuts and bolts of the project. About 30 people attended that meeting.

In 1986, the tribe gave Perry voters a say over commercial development on land the tribe annexed from the town.

The tribe would own 51 percent of the aviation facility. An investor, yet to be found, would own the rest.

Salaries are expected to be around $18 to $24 an hour and the tribe would employ about 350 people in the second year. The facility could infuse more than $8 million into the local economy.

The Memorandum of Understanding between the tribe and town officials states that the tribe will try to hire and train workers from the local area. It calls for the facility to be built on 12 acres of annexed land that can only be used for the aviation facility.

The tribe also agreed to work with all federal agencies to design a project that would conform with proper practices for wetland alteration and wastewater and chemical discharge.

After the vote, Passamaquoddy tribal spokesman Cliv Dore, who has spearheaded the project, said the next step was to build the facility. The tribe hopes to have the facility operational by next year.

Tribal Councilor Dale Mitchell called the vote a good step forward.

“Hopefully we can start bringing something positive to Washington County,” he said. “We’re seriously hoping we can get an investor on line, sooner than later. There have been some preliminary talks with investors; this [the vote] was one of the things holding us up.”

Mitchell said the tribe has invested a sizable amount of its own money in the project.

“It’s necessary to make sure that we follow through with it,” he said. “Not only to bring those dollars back to the tribe, but also to be able to provide employment not only just to the membership, but to the surrounding communities.”

Perry Selectman Richard Adams said he was pleased that voters favored the aviation project. “I think it will help the area. Not only here, but Calais also,” he said.

Perry’s newest selectman, Jeanne Guisinger, said afterward she also felt good about the vote.

“We sat down with the tribe and I felt we had the makings of a good working relationship and I hope that continues,” she said. “This is now in the [tribe’s] hands and I expect good things.”

The tribe is also looking at another economic development opportunity – a racino in Washington County.

Right now the racino bill sits on Gov. John Baldacci’s desk. The bill, which would allow horse racing and slot machines somewhere in the county, passed both the House and Senate. The governor has threatened to veto it.

Mitchell didn’t seem too optimistic that the governor would let the bill become law.

“I think we all know where it’s going. It’s called, what was the words [Baldacci] used? It’s not sustainable economic development. But it seems to be good for Bangor. I don’t know why it’s not good for Washington County,” he said.

When the news media pointed out that Bangor was Baldacci’s home community, Mitchell said, “Imagine that.”