At the Jan. 18 meeting of the Friends of Wiscasset Village, member Bill Maloney said he is circulating a petition to put a new job on the warrant for the annual town meeting.

The job would be called a community development specialist, and would serve many of the same functions as the town planner, Maloney said. “Many of the town’s boards don’t have the support they need to do their jobs,” he said. “This new position would assist them. But it would also help identify new businesses and grant opportunities for the town.”

Maloney said because the planner job has been considered controversial in the past – the town voted to eliminate it in 2017 – he believed a new name would better explain what the job would do for the town.  At several selectmen's meetings in the fall, members from various boards have spoken about the need for a job to help them as the planner once did. For instance, the planning board said incorrect forms have been given out to potential new developments, and the Historic Preservation Commission said it is unable to send out notices in a timely fashion.

The petition will require 174 signatures to get the possible job on the warrant in June.  Several attendees at the Friends of Wiscasset Village meeting signed the petition.

Jean Beattie of the Wiscasset Area Chamber of Commerce said she would contact Concord Coach Lines, which recently stopped service in Wiscasset owing to an unplowed parking lot at the former Huber’s Market, to see if it would be possible to arrange someplace else in town for a stop.  Many attendees wondered if it could be closer to downtown, eventually to connect with the planned summer schedule Downeaster, which would be moved to a site near the Yacht Club and recreational pier due to traffic issues related to the Maine Department of Transportation project at the current train station site on the north side of Route 1.

After Beattie reached a representative at Concord Coach Lines, in the late afternoon, she said he was quick to assure her Wiscasset hadn’t been abandoned. He told her he had received a great number of calls since the story broke in the Wiscasset Newspaper. He also said the requirements for a bus stop are modest; the building doesn’t have to be open, nor does it have to sell tickets. It just has to be large enough for a 45-foot bus to maneuver. Beattie said she would be looking at a few sites over the weekend and would get back in touch with the bus company afterward.

Friends of Wiscasset Village hosted a visit by MDOT’s Meg Lane, who discussed ways the Friends of Belgrade fundraised for items such as bike racks, lamp posts, and benches. Unlike the Friends of Wiscasset Village, which sees itself as an ongoing community organization, the Belgrade group has plans to disband once its goals are met.

MDOT also sent along the most recent plans, which include locations for trees on Main Street.

Mary Ellen Barnes discussed initial fundraising for seed money to establish the organization. A strategic plan to work toward grant funding and donations is still some time away.

The group agreed it should participate in selectmen's meetings, whether on the agenda or speaking as members of the public, to make sure the group's name is in the public eye.