The Monday, Oct. 2 selectmen’s meeting on Westport Island dealt with property, including discussions of valuation, hydrants and submerged lands.

A letter from the Maine Department of Revenue Services provided a preliminary 2018 valuation of $203,100,000 for the island based on taxable property as of April 1, 2016. The valuation is 4.8 percent lower than the previous year’s.

Also reviewed was a notice from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry stating residents Timothy Murney and Faith Leitner had applied for a submerged lands easement for their seasonal ramp and float at 159 North End Road. The notice will be posted in the town office and the public has 14 days to comment on the application.

Selectmen briefly discussed draft wording for a future fire hydrant easement deed from residents. If approved, the easement wording could be used to permit entry of “people and machines” to “draw water for the purposes of municipal fire protection.” The easement would also permit use to “repair, maintain and replace” the hydrant if needed. Approval of the document was tabled until the selectmen could confirm it is the document Maine Municipal Association provided. The easement could be used for properties that have a water source for a dry hydrant.

Town clerk and history committee secretary Gaye Wagner presented estimates from two companies to preserve the town’s original record book which dates from 1828 when Westport separated from Edgecomb. The book contains vital records and town meeting minutes, giving a glimpse of island life between 1828 and the 1860s.

Town meeting voters approved $2,000 for the work. Kofile of Dallas, Texas offered a $2,162 estimate and would not keep the book in its original binding. Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) of Andover, Massachusetts would, and it would not encapsulate the pages. It estimated the work at $5,235.  Selectmen approved the Kofile bid, with the provision that the amount is re-negotiated to keep within the $2,000 voters approved.

Those attending the meeting helped Selectman Ross Norton celebrate his birthday with a card and birthday pie.