Westport Island selectmen reported Monday, Aug. 7 on recent meetings which included resident property issues and a preliminary discussion of budgeted operations with auditors.  The town has added $129,674 to its 2015 surplus, bringing the total for 2016 to $340,000. These monies are not designated for use by the town and removal of any funds from the town’s surplus must be approved by a town vote.  

Several organizations submitted requests for information. Selectmen approved the town’s report on the expenditures for the Maine Department of Transportation’s Local Road Assistance Program’s allocation of $25,840 in fiscal year 2017, for capital improvements to the town’s public roads. These improvements must have a life expectancy of 10 years or restore the load-carrying capacity of the road.

The state Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry requested an annual monitoring report on the Wright Landing property. Selectmen approved the report.

Following a request from the state legislature, Maine Municipal Association is collecting information from coastal communities about resilience to the hazards of “storm surges, extreme precipitation and other extreme weather events, projected sea level rise and increased river flooding and storm water runoff ...,” according to MMA’s study prospectus.

As explained to the Wiscasset Newspaper by Garrett Corbin, legislative advocate, state and federal relations for MMA, the request for more information is the result of a LD 1095, a bill submitted by York Representative Lydia Blume. It seeks to establish the Maine Coastal Risks and Hazards Commission and has been carried over to the next session.

Municipal officials from coastal communities and experts from across the state are asked to respond to the questions: Have you identified such risks in your community? What have you done so far to prepare for these risks?  What help would you welcome?

Results from the surveys will be shared at a stakeholder meeting on Sept. 13 at MMA in Augusta and via a panel discussion at the MMA annual convention on Oct. 14. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry website for coastal hazards (https://www1.maine.gov/dacf/mgs/hazards/coastal/index.shtml) provides information from 2015. At that time, the highest annual tide line at Westport Island was 6.30 feet.

Selectmen forwarded the survey to Roger Higgins, Westport EMA Director for response and followup.