Following years of frustration caused by out-of-staters parking at the Pelissier Boat Launch along the Merrimack River in Allenstown, voters struck back on Election Day, passing a measure by a count of 286-160 that allows resident-only access to one of the most popular attractions the town has to offer.

Stickers will be available at the town hall at no charge, giving locals permission to use the facilities located at the end of Ferry Street, while limiting admission to create a better climate for recreation.

“In the past we did not have a pass regulating who can go,” said Town Administrator Derik Goodine. “Now you can apply for a free sticker and you can’t enter without one.”

The need for stickers, which must be renewed annually, surfaced after the pandemic pushed people to find things to do outside. Complaints followed, saying that too many cars with Massachusetts and Maine license plates were clogging parking and the launch.

“This was built with town funds, so the economic development committee had people complaining that they couldn’t find parking spaces,” Goodine said last month. “We cleared out some space during COVID, when there was more use because people wanted to get outside for outdoor recreation. People here were saying, ‘Hey, this is our beach.’ ”

That will be easier to document soon, as the weather warms up. Residents who are ticketed because they hadn’t picked up their stickers could bring the ticket to the Town Hall at a later date to avoid a fine.

Residents had worried that an out-of-state boater could borrow a sticker, valid from April 1 to Nov. 1, and use it to enter the launch. But loose stickers won’t be accepted and instead must be “firmly be affixed to the vehicle,” said the proposed ordinance, written at the deliberative portion of the town meeting.

License plate numbers will be shown on the stickers, helping weed out cheaters, and signs that clearly spell out the rules will be posted.

Elsewhere, an article seeking to split the traditional dual roles of town clerk and tax collector failed. A separate question to making the tax collector position appointed by selectmen also failed. 

The intent was to make it easier to find qualified candidates who didn’t have to run for office, opening up the pool beyond town residents. 

‘Turnover at the position had proved problematic over the summer and Goodine lamented that the town wasn’t allowed by state law to hire whomever it wanted, like cities can. 

The proposed operating budget of $5.52 million passed by a vote of 227-221, meaning the tax impact will be $1.32 per thousand dollars of assessed property value, a 17 percent increase.

In contested election news, Keith Klawes finished with 148 votes and was bounced from the select board by Kathleen Pelissier (325 votes) and Patricia Caruso (177).

Also, George Lemire defeated Richard Caruso for the trustee of trust funds, 220-171; Lemire beat Caruso for the trustee of cemetery funds, 216-174; and Jacquelene Tate beat Paul St. Germain, 222-203.