A detour route for when Ben Brook Bridge on Egypt Road is being replaced will need a town meeting vote, Alna Second Selectman Steve Graham said Feb. 19. Graham said construction is "still on pace" for 2026, "although ... most of that is dictated by (Maine Department of Transportation's) workload and other things that they need to get done."

Graham has gotten the town an extension to the end of 2026 to spend the $125,000 Department of Environmental Protection grant toward the project. And he said the appraisal and acquisition process is still under way with nearby property owners on three parcels for the project. 

Also Feb. 19, selectmen nodded Lincoln County's Hazard Mitigation Plan. Third Selectman Coreysha Lothrop, formerly Coreysha Stone, said the town put together a 14-page local plan, listing specific actions, but that, to her surprise, the county plan instead lists only "education" in several Alna columns.

According to the discussion, Lothrop passed along the information via a link instead of the method the county provided; she said she will know for next time, or will make sure the next person who submits an Alna plan update knows how to submit it; the lack of detail in those Alna columns in the county plan will not disqualify the town for grants; and if any town does not nod the plan, that would disqualify the whole county from Federal Emergency Management Agency grants if natural disasters strike.

"So we're incentivized to get approval from every municipality so that if you need to apply to FEMA for any reason, you have that opportunity," said County Administrator Carrie Kipfer, representing Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency in seeking the board's approval.

Kipfer said Alna's efforts at resiliency are getting noticed around the state. "I've been to at least three different meetings in the last six months where Alna specifically (was noted) for the projects that are happening here in town."

In other business, Alna Volunteer Fire Department’s budget request is $1,097 less than last year, AVFD President Beth Whitney told selectmen. She said call pay is down $8,000, due to fewer and shorter call-outs and fewer members going.And thanks to the solar panels at the fire station, $750 is budgeted for electricity, versus last year’s $2,500.

“That ($750) is probably even too much,” but they didn’t want to chance it, she said.

The open portion of town meeting is March 21.