Wed, 01/25/2017 - 8:30am

JANE CARPENTER, News Contributor

Richard DeVries, standing, gives Westport Island selectmen information about Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit 12 at the board’s Jan. 23 meeting. JANE CARPENTER/Wiscasset Newspaper.

A contract was signed Jan. 6 between Westport Island and David P. Trask and Son to build the town a sand and salt shed.

Trask’s bid of $422,900 was the lowest received in October. Since that time, selectmen and Jonathan DeWick of Pine Tree Engineering have been working to achieve significant cost savings. “The town wants to keep the project in the $300,000 range,” DeWick told the Wiscasset Newspaper.

As a result, the contract signed with Trask is for $157,000, which includes only the construction of the shed, not include the foundation or electrical or site work. “The site work should be less than $50,000,” said DeWick, the project manager.

DeWick said there may have to be some changes in the foundation and site design. Pine Tree Engineering is currently working to resolve the design issues.

In other town business, selectmen made three appointments Monday, Jan. 23: One was Bobbie Newberg, to the Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit 12 board seat vacant since the resignation of Sandra Crehore, who is moving from the island. The term expires in June. Newberg is co-president of the Westport Community Association.

Richard De Vries, the town’s other RSU 12 board member, discussed the nomination of Newberg with officials at Monday’s meeting. In addition, De Vries informed selectmen that the town has 47 school students as of December 31, 2016, down from 52 students at the start of the year.

De Vries said he believes that there may be a three-percent crease in Westport Island’s contribution next year. The current total RSU 12 budget of $20.9 million represents an increase of 2.9 percent from 2015; Westport Island’s cost per student is $12,874.

“I’m looking forward to working with Bobbie,” DeVries told the Wiscasset Newspaper. “It’s important that Westport has both positions filled as RSU 12 is an important education community for our students and the state as well.”

Other appointments approved were Chris Warner, to the town shellfish committee for a term ending in 2019; and Jeff Tarbox, to the town hall committee for an unlimited term.