Public concern over ice craters along Cross Point Road, the introductions of a new recording secretary and budget committee member, Hammond Fund request updates, and town website progress were the main topics at the Edgecomb selectmen’s meeting held Tuesday, Jan. 3.

The board noted the results of work performed by the Livermore Falls-based Ted Berry Company Inc. on the sewer line from Eddy Road to the Wiscasset collections system. Berry’s report summary reads, in part: “… the pipeline is assessed to be in good working condition with no known defects or weaknesses.” The report recommended that the sewer force main be cleaned every five years. The project cost $21,000.

Two previous requests for Hammond Funds were discussed. The fire department asked for money to build a flagpole, and the Edgecomb Historical Society requested a donation to assist the group in creating non-profit status. While budget figures were not available at the meeting, the selectmen supported both requests. “Town Treasurer and Town Clerk Claudia will have numbers at the next meeting to determine available funding, Selectman Mike Smith said. 

It was reported that the new town website is functioning well. Selectmen’s Chairman Jack Sarmanian commended Janet Blevins and Don Kriotcah for their work assisting the webmaster in developing the site.

Audience member Larry Omland asked if there was any intention to use the website to notify residents about upcoming meetings.

Said Smith, “We can’t issue outgoing email yet. But we post meetings regularly. Soon we’ll have a budget agenda and we’ll be able to guide people to the website to find out what the schedule will be. We hope they’ll participate.”

“I suggest that, since we live in a climate where we have more ice than snow, it would be helpful for people trying to get out to know if their road is sanded,” said Omland.

“We can pass questions on to Scott Griffin and I can relay it to the appropriate party,” Smith said.

Two agenda items, a moratorium issue and an executive session with the fire chief, were tabled.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Omland expressed concern regarding road conditions along a section of Cross Point Road, where storm runoff crosses the road and freezes. “It was like bomb craters going through there. You have to crawl through the ice there. Is there an ordinance stating that if driveways come out onto town roads, they have to have drainage to avoid that situation? It gets compounded every year. It’s a traffic hazard for everyone.”

Sarmanian said the topic had come up before. He said the board would look into the possibility of creating an ordinance assigning responsibility.  

“It may behoove the town to have an under-the-roadway pipe to funnel water if it can’t be stopped from coming off the property,” said Omland.

Also during the meeting, Sarmanian introduced new recording secretary Jessica Hicks. “She’s a talented person, and she’ll be a nice addition for the board,” he said. Hicks has served in the U.S. Air Force, lives in Edgecomb and works at Bath Iron Works.

Joe McSwain, the newest member of the budget committee, was invited to the table for a discussion regarding his new position.  Besides McSwain, the budget committee consists of Blevins, Jack Brennan, Anita Sprague and Karen Potter.

“We appreciate you wanting to be involved,” Smith told McSwain. 

“It’s important to have volunteers. There’s a lot of complexity to running a town. There’s a lot of work to make sure it stays special and affordable,” added Sarmanian.

The committee will meet with selectmen next Monday, Jan. 9, at 6 p.m. at the Edgecomb Town Hall to talk about the schedule and about working with other town boards and committees. The meeting is open to the public.

The next selectmen’s meeting will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 6 p.m. at the Edgecomb Town Hall.