Edgecomb will not deviate from its town-acquired property policy, after all. On Aug. 6, selectmen voted to reconsider their action taken July 26 to accept all bids for a Gleason Road property instead of allowing abutters first shot. On July 26, Selectmen Dawn Murray and Ted Hugger voted in favor of creating a one-time exception to the town policy because Rebecca Smith, Selectman Mike Smith’s wife, was an abutter.

On Aug. 6, Rebecca Smith and another abutter Andrea Kelley requested the board return to the current policy, and it did. Murray and Hugger voted 2-0 to return to their original policy for the Stephenson property sale. “I’m asking you to take another look at your decision. Neither Mike nor I have any interest in the property.There is no longer a potential conflict of interest so the two abutters should be allowed to bid on the property,” Smith said.

Murray will now send letters to abutters Eric and Andrea Kelley and a couple who bought abutting property three months ago. Town officials didn’t recall another abutter’s name. Andrea Kelley told selectmen she planned on submitting a bid. Murray will send out a letter later this week directing bidders to make a minimum bid of approximately $28,000 which will cover municipal legal costs pertaining to a 2017 Wiscasset District Court ruling in Edgecomb’s favor. The court ruled, during a contempt of court hearing, Stephenson Marine Trust violated a 2013 consent agreement with the town. The trust was obligated to pay the full amount of a $25,000 fine. Edgecomb applied the fine to the property’s tax bill and foreclosed after the lien matured.

Mike Smith told his fellow board members he appreciated their reconsidering.

In other action, selectmen also reversed another previous decision. Last month, selectmen set Saturday, Aug. 21 as the date for a public forum on the town’s future; 2024 is the town’s 250th anniversary or semiquincentennial. The first forum, in December 2019, was called “Edgecomb 250.” Selectmen wanted to hear from residents what the town’s next 250 years should look like.

Two years ago, selectmen hoped to hold a series of forums leading up to the anniversary, but the coronavirus derailed their intentions. Selectmen wanted to seek public views on possibly hiring an administrative assistant, how to spend $125,000 of federal stimulus funds, broadband expansion and how future Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor growth impacts their quality of life.

But the spread of the Delta variant in Lincoln County resulted in selectmen postponing the forum. Selectmen planned on using Edgecomb Eddy School for the 90-minute public forum. But selectmen decided the date was inappropriate considering it coincided with the school’s opening at the end of August.

Instead, selectmen will put the forum on hold and reconsider setting a date in mid-September.

Selectmen are close to filling an appeals board seat. Murray received a commitment from Emily Mirabile who, along with her husband Nick Mirabile, owns Windsong Market on Route 27, that one of them one would accept an appointment. This would bring the number of members to four. Other recent appointments include Karen Greene, George Chase and Heather Burt.

The board has been dormant several years, but will reform to hear an appeal. Murray reported the four members will meet, elect a new chairman and set a date for a hearing. Selectmen are still seeking one more board member and two alternates.

Selectmen meet next at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 23 in the town hall.