The Wiscasset select board has been asked to consider joining a consortium of other towns when the time comes to renew its cable TV contract with Spectrum Communications, formerly Time Warner Cable.

The board was given a proposal Tuesday night from Mike Edgecomb, business development manager for the James W. Sewall Company based in Old Town. The proposal came to the town office in an Aug. 1 email. The same proposal was sent to other Lincoln County towns including Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Westport Island, Dresden and Edgecomb.

“I am attempting to gauge interest in your Town to join a consortium (association) of local Towns to negotiate the renewal of the cable TV franchise as a group,” wrote Edgecomb. “Each town will have its own franchise negotiated. Forming a consortium will cut the cost for each town, and consolidate your bargaining power. The cost per town will depend on the number of towns that join.”

The email went on to state the James W. Sewall Company has partnered with several Maine communities for negotiating cable franchise agreements. The company’s services include negotiating for expansion of cable services and expanding the availability of high-speed broadband services, the email stated.

Edgecomb joined Sewall in 2016 and has 36 years’ experience in the cable industry, with over 20 years negotiating cable TV franchises, according to Sewall’s company’s website.

Selectmen were interested in hearing how other communities were reacting to the offer and asked Town Manager Marian Anderson to contact the towns and find out.

During public comment, James Kochan said selectmen should consider extending the two-week town planner application deadline. He suggested the application period be open for at least a month and that selectmen consider using monies raises at the special town meeting to retain a temporary planning consultant until a new town planner can be hired.

Police Chief Jeff Lange said the recent school supply drive had been very successful. “We greatly appreciated the way the community responded to this,” he said. Along with school supplies, Wiscasset PD received $230 in cash donations to be shared between the two schools.

The town office received a letters of thanks from Healthy Kids and the Good Shepherd Food Bank for the town’s $1,500 contribution approved by voters in June.