George Richardson has been a selectman in Westport Island a quarter of a century, and he’s never heard of so many building permits – 50 since the annual cycle started April 1, he told attendees of Monday night’s UberConference selectmen’s meeting. “We’re not through until the end of March, so we’re going to have more.” 

Why so many projects? “People want to move out of the city and get in the rural areas, a lot of it is. And part of it is, people want to put on additions, and we’ve got a few new houses. But I haven’t got a real answer, because I haven’t asked each one of them,” Richardson said. “It’s just unusual, and the price of construction has gone up,” he added.

Richardson also reported the preliminary 2021 state valuation for Westport Island is $234,650,000, up 6.03% from last year.

Town Clerk and Registrar of Voters Julie Casson said absentee voting is underway. The town has mailed out 137 ballots and other residents have asked to pick up theirs, she said. Completed ballots can be mailed back or placed in the drop box outside the town office, Casson said. For more information, ask Casson or go to westportisland.us

Weather permitting on Oct. 7, 8 and 9, four inmates and a guard from Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset will work three days at Wright Landing, helping build a wheelchair accessible ramp and doing other work, according to History Committee Chair Jeff Tarbox and selectmen.

“I think it’s great. It’s good community service,” Tarbox said. “Anytime someone can get a chance to do valuable work, they’re going to be proud of themselves. I think it’s beneficial for them as well as for the town.” Selectmen gave Richardson permission to get a gift certificate from Subway for three days of sandwiches and drinks.

Tarbox again encouraged selectmen to take part in the history center’s grand opening at 10 a.m. Oct. 25 at Wright House. “Do we have to wear our selectmen top hats,” Second Selectman Gerald Bodmer asked. “If you’ve got it, bring it,” Tarbox replied. He told the board, “We’re planning on ... a ceremony at the start, and then we’ll open things up for people to be able to come through the house in limited numbers because of social distancing, so they can get a view of (the center),” including an exhibit on the area’s history of pandemics, he said. “So that’s going to be something interesting to see ...,” he added. Gaye Wagner and others have been working on the exhibit, he said.

Tarbox told selectmen, “I think you’d enjoy it. But we’d really like you to (take) a leading role in the opening up of a center you have supported so well in the last year and a half.”

The board made Connie Ostis an associate member of the history committee.