In response to questions about speeding on Dodge and Middle roads, Lincoln County Sheriff Todd Brackett and Lt. Brendan Kane, patrol division supervisor, met with Edgecomb selectmen Nov. 19.

Middle Road resident Betty Blackman told Brackett and Kane, traffic needs to slow down to the 35 mph limit. Drivers are “going like crazy,” Blackman said.

“It’s frustrating when you can’t get out of your own driveway,” she said. Blackman also said people driving in the center of the road are a hazard.

Heather Abello of Dodge Road attended with daughters Hannah and Charlotte. Abello is worried about traffic volume and speed when her daughters ride their bikes. "I attended the meeting with my two children to show support for the conversation in the name of safety on our town roads," she said.

Selectman Jack Sarmanian acknowledged the increase in traffic and asked Brackett what could be done for enforcement.

The whole region is growing and changing and the sheriff's office is seeing an incredible increase in traffic on side roads, Brackett explained. He said the roads are not designed for higher speeds. Selectman Mike Smith agreed, saying “No sight lines on the roads is common here on the coast.”

Brackett further explained, having more staff would help in patrolling the side roads. He suggested digital signage. "Sometimes people need a reminder,” he said.

There was some good news from Brackett’s office in the number of accidents recorded. In 2017 and so far in 2018, one or two accidents were reported on Middle Road, which Brackett said was “within the norm.”

Other suggestions included speed bumps and radar sensing signs. “People just have to slow down, that’s the bottom line,” Smith added.

Smith also asked Brackett about help if the town got a property with water access. The concern focused on whether or not parking lots in secluded areas might attract problems with illegal drugs.

“We have to make sure we don’t create a problem,” Smith explained. Brackett said his office could work with the town and that there would need to be strict enforcement and possibly voluntary policing by neighbors.

In other business, Edgecomb Emergency Management Director Bill Witzell got selectmen's approval to name Roland Abbott deputy director. Abbott is an Edgecomb Fire Department captain. “I’d like to welcome Roland into the position and I know he will serve the town well,” Witzell said. He also provided the EFD call report for October. Half of the 18 calls were for motor vehicle accidents, three involving deer.