As Gov. Janet Mills’ stay at home executive order approaches its June 11 end date, Edgecomb officials are thinking about reopening the municipal building to the public. On June 1, selectmen decided to meet in the municipal building’s upstairs for their next biweekly meeting. Selectmen decided to allow other municipal boards to use the town hall’s upstairs for meetings. Selectman Mike Smith reported the Schmid Advisory Committee had inquired about using the town hall for meetings and planning board chairman Barry Hathorne also contacted other municipal officials about resuming monthly meetings in the facility.

As for the downstairs business office, elected Treasurer Deb Boucher and Town Clerk Claudia Coffin will decide when the public will be permitted inside. While the building remains closed to the public, Boucher reported she will begin collecting excise tax once the emergency order expires. She asked selectmen to post her contact information and office hours on the website, town office doors and in local newspapers. She requested selectmen find a suitable lock box so residents could place documents inside for processing.

“Once the executive order expires, I will begin processing those requests and accept payment by either exact cash or check,” she said. After discussing how residents should proceed in the meantime, Boucher asked for residents with questions to call her municipal cell phone number. Coffin reported about plans for next month’s state primary election. In the past decade, Coffin reported Edgecomb’s  June primary voter turnout had been light. Coffin researched past turnout which showed only two elections since 2010 with voter turnout exceeding 300. But this year may be different. Coffin reported more 2020 absentee ballots than in past primary elections. “Nineteen is the most absentee ballots I remember, but this year we’ve already had 50,” she said. 

In other action, Selectman Jack Sarmanian reported negotiations for selling the Lallis property had taken the next step. Sarmanian and a local realtor had discussed two proposals for selling the tax-acquired property on McKay Road. Resident James Schmal has been interested in buying the Lallis property for years. Edgecomb acquired the 80-acre property in 2004. Sarmanian indicated negotiations centered around selling the remaining 75 of the 80 acres for $125,000 or 15 acres for $45,000. “As of today, he is definitely interested. I can see him coming out of this making some kind of offer,” he said. 

Selectmen are still waiting for a response from Alternative Organizational Structure 98 on the disposition of two school buses. Last month, Edgecomb officials received a storage bill from Boothbay Harbor businessman Martin Page. On May 18, selectmen voted unanimously to allow AOS 98 to dispose of the two vehicles without any cost to local taxpayers. But the board wasn’t sure why Page sent them a storage bill. This led to Smith proposing the “powers that be” dispose of the buses without a cost levied to Edgecomb taxpayers.  Coffin reported she tried contacting the superintendent’s office about why Edgecomb received a bill,  but she hadn’t received a response. 

Selectmen will meet next at 6 p.m. Monday, June 15. Selectmen plan to meet in the town hall’s upstairs for the first time since March.