Lincoln County TV seeks funding from the town of Dresden, as well as other towns, as a vital part of its budget this year. However, the Board of Selectmen’s response Monday gave limited hope.

 Station Manager Mary Ellen Crowley, appearing before the board at its regular meeting, presented a request for $3,253, 6.5 percent of LCTV's budget. “We want to keep our local access TV alive one way or another,” Crowley said.

 However, Phil Johnston reacted negatively to the idea initially. “We give $3,100 total for every agency, not $3,200 for one enterprise.”

 Crowley explained the station’s basis for the amount for the local access station, Channel 7, which Time Warner Cable subscribers can view and communities and individuals in the communities of Lincoln County can make use of for their own programming. She said the station calculates the request for each town, which she called its fair share, based on 50 percent of the population in 2010 and 50 percent of the number of cable subscribers.

 “We are not a social service agency,” she said, contrasting it with the agencies Dresden funds annually.

 Crowley spoke about several programs aired on Channel 7, which Dresden residents produced and appeared in over the course of the past few years. “The problem is getting people from the communities involved,” she said.

 After hearing her testimony, Johnston expressed some interest in the town possibly funding at least part of the request, which the budget review committee may recommend. Selectman Allan Moeller also suggested the board could bring up the matter at its next regular meeting Monday, April 22.

In an interview on Tuesday, Crowley spoke of the importance of Lincoln County towns funding the station. “We are available for every community to come and use our services,” she said.

 Crowley said the station has requested funding the past two years from Dresden but has not yet received any from the town. Although the station conducts fundraising to supplement its budgetary requirements, it depend on the bulk of its support on communities’ positive response to its requests, according to Crowley.

 Up until now, the use of its Newcastle studio and equipment the town can borrow to produce its programming for local town boards has been free but in the future, the station may be forced to begin charging those towns which do not contribute to its operation for access.

 Currently Dresden does not have full cable coverage like most Lincoln County communities, but would receive more funding in franchise fees if cable service expands in the future, which would provide more sought after high speed Internet service, Crowley mentioned.

Edgecomb’s budget committee meeting last week recommended no funding for the station in response to a requested $2,339 this year. Crowley said in essence such a response from towns threatens the existence of the station or at least free access if other towns pursue similar action.

 The funding question for LCTV in Dresden has to pass by the board and subsequently consideration from the budget review committee before appearing on the warrant for the annual June town meeting.

Other business

The board talked about the possibility of budget funding for repainting the local recycling center and previously had enlisted a local contractor to make an estimate for the budget review committee purposes. The estimated totaled $4,500, Johnston said.

 In other action, the board tabled a decision on an application to put 63 acres into tree growth status on Alexander Road. The board seeks more information on the request before finalizing its decision.

Selectman Moeller reported grading work partially done on the Bog Road, which the town intends to work on more in the future.

The budget review committee planned to meet this Wednesday, April 10 at Bridge Academy at 6:30 p.m.

The town office will be closed April 15, which is Patriots Day. Dresden selectmen will next meet April 22 at 6 p.m. at Pownalborough Hall and will convene for its next workshop April 29 at 6 p.m. at the town office.