The Damariscotta Board of Selectmen decided not to issue a lease for a non-parking space in the municipal lot, until members discuss the matter more fully at a planning session next month.

At town meeting, voters granted the board the right to lease space in the lot. Although other ideas, such as renting parking spaces to businesses, were under consideration, the immediate issue was a non-parking space currently occupied by a dumpster used by the Damariscotta River Grill. At the board meeting on July 20, several people came to voice their objection to the leasing of the space for that purpose, including the potential problems with snow removal if it remains where it is. Others said there were other options the restaurant could use, that could be even less expensive than the dumpster service being used.

The town attorney had written up a contract under Town Manager Matt Lutkus’ direction, but it arrived too late in the afternoon to be voted on, according to Robin Mayer, chairman of the board, and she asked for a motion to table it.

The dumpster has been in the lot for more than a year, and the owners of the restaurant have been in negotiations with the town since that time.

The owners, Rick Hirsch and Jean Kerrigan, were looking into other options as well, Mayer said.

The board also agreed to the purchase of a new traffic-calming speed sign, and welcomed Amanda Hesseltine to the Police Department as a reserve officer. She is currently a full-time officer in Gardiner, but will be able to pick up some shifts in Damariscotta.

It was also agreed to allow Twin River Taxi to use the “authorized vehicle” parking space at Theater and Main in order to pick up passengers disembarking from the bus from Portland. The space is used by police and fire officials while on business in town. The taxis will be provided with a placard that proclaims them to be authorized vehicles for the purpose of parking in the space to load or unload passengers.

The contract with Wright-Pierce for engineering work on the Elm Street sidewalk project was also agreed to. The project had been planned with grant funding, but when the grant fell through, the town decided to use the funds it had to get the majority of the work done. Work is expected to commence in the early fall.