Wiscasset selectmen Dec. 6 agreed to tap American Rescue Plan Act funds for up to $75,000 in light-emitting diode (LED) street lights. The lights will save the town about $30,000 a year in power costs and would have paid for themselves by now if put in a few years ago, Town Manager Dennis Simmons said.

The split vote favoring the ARPA tap came after a discussion that touched on other possible uses for ARPA money, such as broadband, sewer and more.

Selectman Terry Heller was mixed about tapping ARPA for the lights. She liked the savings the lights would yield, but she also wondered if the ARPA funds could help with broadband or a town department’s need, she said. She suggested waiting on the proposed ARPA tap for the lights and Selectman James Andretta was open to that.

Chair Sarah Whitfield said she “respectfully” would like a vote that night. “I’m fully in favor of using the ARPA funds” for the lights, which should have been bought years ago, she said. “There’s always going to be other places (to spend). You can say that forever. (The lights are) going to save a heck of a lot of money ...”

Selectman William “Bill” Maloney concurred. Selectman Dusty Jones wondered about tapping investment funds instead, and tapping ARPA for broadband. Broadband infrastructure could take millions of dollars, “and we’re not taking care of the infrastructure that we have right now,” Simmons responded. “Which is why we’re in the position of looking at having to spend $30 million” on the wastewater treatment plant, he said.

Simmons said the board has planned for months to get the lights with ARPA funds and, after lining up the contract, “we’re right here, right now, and we’re going to kick this can down the road, just like we’ve kicked every other can down the road.”

The board voted 4-1, with Andretta opposed, to contract with Affinity for up to $75,000 in ARPA funds to convert the street lights to LED.

The board agreed in February to seek offers on converting the lights, according to Wiscasset Newspaper files.

Earlier in the Dec. 6 meeting, Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent Rob Lalli urged against putting a large sum into broadband when, he said, “There are so many things that need to be fixed in town.” He said he sees Public Works Director Ted Snowden “fighting for every penny he can get.” And the sewer department’s needs are so great, “it seems like an impossible task.”

Budget and broadband committees member Marty Fox agreed with Lalli’s concern about the prospect of a large local cost for a broadband project. He suggested selectmen meet with Consolidated. He said the 35-40% subscription rate Axiom has discussed could be hard to reach. For example, he pays Spectrum $70 a month for phone and internet and is satisfied, so he has no incentive to switch.

But Fox added broadband is essential because Wiscasset would, he said, be at an economic disadvantage without it.

He asked if the board agreed or not about meeting with Consolidated. Whitfield explained she is not in the practice of responding during public comment. “We will be talking about (broadband) a lot more,” she added.

“Good information,” Heller told Fox. Selectmen later decided to meet with an Axiom representative Dec. 20. Maloney brought up Fox’s comment about Consolidated. Jones said Consolidated’s proposal can be talked about but is not the one he likes; Maloney said he didn’t like the one Jones liked. At one point, Jones mentioned the idea of a special town meeting on a proposal. He said voters need a lot more information first, and he would want them to be excited about a project, and excited about a special town meeting.

Also Dec. 6, the board nodded an ARPA tap of up to $65,000 for a smaller, second round of premium pay for eligible employees. As Simmons outlined in his manager’s report, department heads will get $2,000; full-time workers $1,000; and part-timers $500 or $250, depending on the number of hours they consistently work.

Selectmen approved a liquor license for Barnhouse Grill & Pub, 690 Bath Road, and a business license for Dedshot Photography, 29 Pinewood Drive; appointed Thomas Tetu to the Water District board, accepted Bonnie and Rodney Stone’s $500 donation to Wiscasset Ambulance Service; and passed a policy that, to be considered for town meeting funding, organizations must be non-profit, IRS 501 (c)(3), Maine-incorporated, have been in business at least a year and fill out a request form.