Westport Island selectmen on Monday reviewed a request from Carrie Kinne, executive director of Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT), for tax exemptions on three properties.

Exemptions are sought for the property at map 1, lot 75, which Selectman George Richardson said had a 2016 tax of $1,887.07; a second property at map 4, lot 61 that had a 2016 tax of $1,986.91; and a third property, the Squam Creek preserve located at map 4, lot 55, with total 2016 taxes of $3,571.04. The 2016 taxes for all three lots totaled $5,657.02.

The sale of the 222-acre Squam Creek preserve property to KELT was finalized March 23. The town contributed $50,000 toward the acquisition.

KELT is seeking assessment under Maine’s open space tax law (36 M.R.S. §§ 1101-1121) which provides for valuation based on current use of the land rather than fair market value.

During preliminary discussion of the Squam Creek acquisition at a selectmen’s meeting in May 2016, Dennis Dunbar, president of KELT’s board of directors, suggested KELT might offer a fee of some sort to the town in lieu of the tax dollars. According to Kinne, KELT has not yet determined if a payment in lieu of taxes will be made. The request was timed to meet a town deadline of April 1.

Also Monday, Richard DeVries, resident and representative to the Regional School Unit 12 board, provided information about costs for the island’s pre-kindergarten students. Westport Island will send two students to pre-K classes at an anticipated cost of approximately $7,000 per student. The total budget for the town as a member of RSU 12 is expected to be $652,952.

The town is moving ahead as general contractor for the sand and salt shed. A change order was signed Monday evening that adds $18,900 of electrical work to the original contract signed with David P. Trask & Son, Inc. The added work brings the total contracted price with Trask to $175,900.

Selectmen discussed the need to seek bids for the shed’s site work and have authorized Pine Tree Engineering to send requests for bids to area companies. Those interested in vying should contact Jonathan DeWick at 443-1508 or by email: pte@pte-maine.com.

Selectmen will accept and open bids at the town office on Monday, April 17, at 7 p.m. Announcement of the successful bidder will take place one week later at the April 24 selectmen’s meeting.