Woolwich officials announced the receipt of a $3,000 grant from Maine Municipal Association; the money will be used to replace flooring in the municipal building’s front lobby.

“The money is provided through the Edward MacDonald Safety Enhancement fund, which is awarded annually and used to improve public safety,” Chairman David King said Monday. “We’d gotten a number of complaints about the flooring becoming slippery during wet weather. It’s the original floor from when the town office was built,” King added. “Our plan is to replace it with a slip-resistant composite material similar to what we used downstairs in the meeting room used by the planning board.”

King said MacDonald was a Woolwich resident. “He headed MMA’s safety program for many years before he died shortly before retiring. He was very well respected and well liked, too.” The grant program is designed to prevent injuries and improve workplace safety.

In other business, EMS Director Brian Carlton told the board over the last fiscal year the ambulance service has responded to 25 calls outside Woolwich, including 22 to Wiscasset or towns served by Wiscasset Ambulance Service (WAS). Over the same period, he continued, WAS covered for the Woolwich ambulance service twice. “It’s something we’ll need to keep an eye on,” commented Carlton.

“Continue to keep track of this. If it continues to remain this unbalanced then we’ll need to address this with Wiscasset,” King said.

Residents will soon be able to place old clothing and footwear for recycling in a special drop box at the town office. The drop box will be supplied at no cost to the town by Apparel Impact, a textile recycling company with an office in Bedford, New Hampshire. Lissa Bittermann, an outreach representative for the company, said the clothing recepticle would be emptied weekly at no cost to the town. She noted some of the clothing will be reused, while other items will be shredded and made into new products. “Our main goal is to get this material out of the trash, out of the landfills and put to new uses,” she said.

After waiving a public hearing, the board renewed a liquor license for Taste of Maine restaurant on Route 1.

King noted the town office will be closed on Monday, June 20 in observance of Juneteenth, the new federal holiday which commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans. Selectmen will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 21. King noted this will be the annual meeting held in the historic 1837 Town House at the corner of Old Stage and Dana Mills roads.