BENTON -- Following an hour of contentious debate Thursday night, voters agreed by a 41-25 margin to negotiate with Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources for the purchase of 21/2 acres of land along the Sebasticook River, for alewive harvesting and recreational use.

Rick Lawrence, the town's appointed alewives warden, said the project would cost about $2,000 or $3,000 less than the budget committee projection of $20,000. If a deal is reached, the town would build an access road to the site, which is a mile below the Benton Falls dam.

Sea-run alewives will begin their migration to Benton soon for the first time in more than a century after last year's removal of the Fort Halifax Dam in Winslow. For this year, the town will allow an appointed alewives harvester to access land, by permission of dam owner Essex Hydro.

Alewives are sold to lobstermen to be used as bait.

Lawrence said that the annual harvest would net the town between $5,000 and $10,000 a year, and that the project would pay for itself in two or three years.

"We have a rare opportunity to acquire an ideal piece of land for alewife harvesting and a boat launch access to the river," Lawrence said.

For an hour, residents grilled Lawrence and the board of selectmen, which approves of the transaction. One resident, who declined to identify himself, said that the town is consistently over budget on projects, from Benton Elementary School to a walking path. He also expressed concern that people walking up and down to the river could damage the bank.

Lawrence replied that the town stands to gain economically from the proposal.

The man also asked how many people would harvest the fish, and who would pay for a portable toilet and trash pickup.

A woman who said she is interested in contracting with the town to harvest the bait fish said she has used three to five people in previous harvests in Winslow, and that they take care of their own waste disposal. The woman also said that an annual town profit of about $20,000 would be likely, rather than $5,000 to $10,000.

Following more comments from people opposed to the project, Dwight Lanning spoke in favor, and in earnest, from the audience.

"I think people are here to vote no on anything," Lanning said. "Now everybody's concerned about an 800-foot dirt road. What kind of idiocy is that?"

Shortly thereafter, moderator Ron Perry called for the vote.

Larry Grard -- 861-9239

lgrard@centralmaine.com