Woolwich selectmen will meet with David Allen, Maine Department of Transportation Regional 2 Traffic Engineer 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 13 at the town office to discuss concerns with the installation of of water main on Route 127.

The Bath Water Project which started last year is set to resume in the spring and be completed later this year. It involves the installation of over three miles of a new 16-inch water main that when finished will run north from Woolwich Central School on Nequasset Road to the junction of Route 127, and from there southward linking up with Bath Water District’s current main behind Cumberland Farms on Route One.

David King Sr., selectboard chair, said the town office had received many complaints from motorists regarding the condition the contractor left the road in after shutting down the project for the winter. King said because Route 127, also known as Middle Road, is a state road, MaineDOT, not the town, bears responsibility for it.

“People mistakenly think Middle Road is a town road but it’s not, it belongs to the state,” Selectman Jason Shaw told Wiscasset Newspaper on March 7. “We’ve received dozens of complaints since the project started last year on the work done on Nequasset Road and the portion the contractor has completed on Route 127. If you don’t believe me, log on and read some of the posts on the Community of Woolwich Facebook page,” said Shaw. After selectmen meet with MaineDOT officials, they plan to meet with BWD officials and their contractor. “We along with the road commissioner want to share with them our concerns about the work that was carried out on Nequasset Road, which is a town road.” Shaw said the March 13 meeting is open to the public.

The Wednesday, March 6 selectboard meeting began with a brief public hearing on a proposed amendment to the solar ordinance. Selectman Tommy Davis said the change developed by the Solar Committee would further clarify the ordinance by enacting an exception for smaller solar users. It reads: “For the purposes of this Ordinance, systems or solar-powered devices or appliances generating less than or equal to 1,000 watts are not considered a Solar Energy System.”

Resident Tom Stoner spoke out against the amendment, saying by including residential solar installations the change went beyond what had been discussed at last year’s town meeting. King responded, the town had been issuing building permits to people wanting to place solar panels on their homes before the solar ordinance was adopted. “I don’t see this being any different than issuing a building permit for a home addition,” he commented. The amendment will be considered at the April 24 annual town meeting at Woolwich Central School.

The town office opened seven contractor bids for replacing the municipal building roof. The bids ranged from $88,395 to $40,635; one additional bid received after the closing date was not opened. Selectman Shaw recommended before awarding the contract the board compare the different options offered by the bidders. King said the selectboard has the option of rejecting any and all of the bids.

The selectboard received just one bid for providing custodial services for the municipal building. Candance Conrad of Woolwich submitted a bid of $6,000 for providing weekly cleaning of the building for the next year. The board accepted the offer unanimously.

Fire Chief Shaun Merrill told the selectboard there are a number of newly adopted outdoor burning regulations residents need to be aware of. He said he plans to post these on the town’s website. Merrill added in his report that Natalie Potter had recently joined the fire and EMS departments. Potter, a recent graduate of Wiscasset Middle High School, has been a volunteer on the Edgecomb Fire Department and recently moved to Woolwich.

In his report, Danny Evarts, EMS director, stated Woolwich Ambulance Department responded to 25 calls in February; 14 of those involved a patient transport. Evarts noted the state recently provided the department with a KangooFix Newborn Restraint device. Following training on its use, the unit will be placed on ambulance Rescue 1.

The selectboard voted unanimously to spend $6,500 in remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to replace a heating pump at the town office.

Primary Election results

Woolwich results from the March 5 Presidential Primary election as reported by Town Clerk Opal Keith and certified by Election Warden David Kloberdans were as follows:

Democratic candidates – Joe Biden, 157 votes; Dean Phillips, nine. No votes were cast for Stephen Lyons. Fifteen ballots were left blank; 181 votes were cast.

Republican candidates – Donald Trump, 263 votes; Nikki Haley, 100; Ron DeSantis, five; Vivek Ramaswamy two; and Ryan Binkley, one. One ballot was left blank; 372 votes were cast.