Edgecomb has received confirmation that two Maine Department of Transportation projects will proceed later this fall. Selectmen recently received a letter from the department indicating a “Florida-T” added to the Route 27 and U.S. Route 1 intersection and an Eddy Road expansion will occur this fall. Board Chairman Jack Sarmanian read the letter during the Oct. 5 selectmen’s meeting. Earlier this year, DOT officials indicated both projects would begin as soon as a Wiscasset project ended. Sarmanian confirmed the Wiscasset project was completed, but the two Edgecomb projects hadn’t begun.

The Florida-T was proposed two years ago for improving traffic flow and for easier access for Route 27 traffic to merge onto U.S. Route 1. This safety measure would provide acceleration and deceleration lanes for left-turning traffic onto U.S. Route 1. The second project is also designed to improve traffic safety by enlarging a section of Eddy Road.

In other action, selectmen briefly discussed a Sept. 28 online school budget public hearing. Selectmen approved an Oct. 15 special town meeting vote last month. The Edgecomb School Committee requested a special town meeting after residents rejected four school warrant articles in August. Selectmen opposed the original $3.3 million school budget voters ultimately defeated. The school committee submitted 17 special town meeting warrant articles with the same $3.3 million spending proposal.

But the school committee has made a few revisions making its proposal more palatable to selectmen. All three selectmen support approving all 17 school warrant articles after the committee made a few key revisions. The committee is proposing taking $200,000 from undesignated funds to reduce impact on local taxpayers. The committee scrapped a proposal for creating a $250,000 capital improvement fund for roof repairs. Instead, the committee is proposing taking $230,000 from undesignated funds to pay for school mold mitigation discovered in late August. The committee removed an article which authorized a $50,000 COVID-19 emergency fund. 

Selectman Mike Smith reported the virtual public hearing had fewer participants, but still had several questions about the proposed budget. Edgecomb will hold a referendum town meeting from 1 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15. The warrant will have 19 total articles. Two selectmen generated articles that will appear on the warrant. One article moves the tax due date from Oct. 31 to Nov. 30, 2020. A second article is due to a clerical error on the Aug. 29 town warrant. An article mistakenly requested $97,000 for paving and repairing Cross Point Road, instead of Mill Road. 

Last month, selectmen rejected a state proposal to provide additional election lockboxes to store a large amount of absentee ballots due to the pandemic. Smith volunteered to build a lock box, but has since changed his mind. Selectmen decided to accept state assistance in buying a $500 lockbox. The Secretary of State’s office is providing lockboxes with funds received from the federal Cares Act. “I talked to (Town Clerk) Claudia (Coffin) following the meeting and decided we are buying one instead,” Smith said. “The state will pay for the box, and the town pays for the outside installation.”

Selectmen appointed one new Schmid Preserve board member and reappointed two others. Selectmen unanimously appointed Rick Nelson to fill Bob Leone’s unexpired term. Leone was the board’s chairman and served for 20 years. Nelson will serve until June 30, 2021. Board members Jim Beam and Laura Lubelczyk were reappointed until June 30, 2023. 

Selectmen also accepted Sarmanian’s resignation. Sarmanian was elected five times and served 13 years. He and his wife, Sandy Sarmanian, sold their home this month. The couple is moving to Wells to be closer to their daughter and friends in Massachusetts.

Selectmen meet next at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19 in the town hall’s upstairs.