Wiscasset selectmen voted 5-0 July 30 to move forward with the town’s public works site as the new site for the sewer treatment plant, and to look into moving public works near the fire department’s training center near the transfer station. And the board’s Aug. 6 agenda, released Aug. 1, listed the item as one of two to consider for the Nov. 5 ballot. The other was a proposed retirement plan change for police. 

“We can’t build on the landfill, but there’s plenty of land out there to do it,” Town Manager Dennis Simmons said about a new public works garage and salt shed. 

The vote came after the head of the environmental engineering firm helping the town suggested it was time to settle on a site for the sewer plant. Given other sites’ issues, and with funding help out there to build public works facilities, putting the sewer plant where public works is and moving public works might be easiest, Olver Associates President William Olver told the board. “And we’re talking a lot of money. So it’s important to really get the site selection behind us and get funding applications out ...”

According to the discussion, putting the sewer plant at public works and putting public works near the fire department training center would come to about $50 million, about the same as putting the sewer plant at a Churchill Street site now privately owned. So putting the sewer plant at public works gets “more bang” – new public works facilities – for that $50 million, Simmons said. 

That’s if the town wins enough aid for both projects, Selectman Pam Dunning said. What if it doesn’t, she asked. 

Then would come Plan B, to seek a different site, which might mean buying one, Simmons said. 

And more aid might not be coming “no matter which site we choose,” Selectmen’s Chair Sarah Whitfield said. She said she was fine with the public works site becoming the sewer plant, because the town owns the land, would not have to seek someone else’s, and would “hopefully” get a new public works facility out of it.

Agreeing with Simmons and Whitfield, Dunning called the potential dual project “kind of a no brainer.” 

Resident Kim Dolce wondered, since the current sewer plant is bigger than the town needs, could the town go smaller this time. 

“That’s possible,” Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent Robert Lalli said. “But that’s where we would work with Olver, to determine that.”

Whitfield noted the plan nodded that night would also take a town vote. “This is only the beginning.”

Also July 30, the board nodded Wiscasset Emergency Medical Services’ (EMS) request to adapt Scout Hall into a training/meeting center. Selectman William “Bill” Maloney said based on the proposal, he would no longer seek a binding town vote to sell Scout Hall. Last year’s straw vote ran 374-260 in favor of selling. Maloney told EMS Director Erin Bean by holding classes there, the town will make money instead of spending it on classes outside Wiscasset. Bean thanked him.

“I support what you’re doing,” Maloney said. Simmons, a past Wiscasset EMS chief, said he was “fully on board.” 

Besides classes, plans call for community groups to use the hall.

Wiscasset Creative Alliance has no meeting space, and is always searching for event space, so it would be fabulous if those uses could mesh with EMS’s schedule for Scout Hall, Lucia Droby said. Simmons said that should work out well, because most of those community activities are daytime, and the classes will generally be at night.