The Sheepscot Harbor Village Association is getting a little help from its neighbors maintaining a Davis Island sewer pumping station. Edgecomb Planning Board chairman Jack French told the selectmen June 29 the SHVA and three other homeowner associations are close to reaching an agreement for sharing the pumping station’s maintenance and fuel costs.

The SHVA has shared the pumping station with The View Association and Community Housing of Maine for several years. But the SHVA never reached a cost sharing agreement until now. The agreement also includes a fourth entity. The Village at Sheepscot is a three condominium proposal located at the corner of U.S. Route 1 and Eddy Road. As he was for the SHVA and The View Association, Anthony Casella is the developer of the latest Davis Island condominium proposal.

Casellla wants to connect the condominiums’ sewer and water lines into the ones used by the other three housing associations located across the street. As the developer, he agreed to share in the pumping station’s maintenance costs.

French told the selectmen the four parties would meet June 30 to finalize the deal. The four parties would also purchase a liability insurance policy. The SHVA already has a $25,000 insurance policy on the pumping station. French believes the four parties’ liability insurance for the pumping station would total $100,000.

The planning board made the agreement a condition for the new condominium project’s approval. On June 18, the planning board placed 28 conditions on the proposal which included the four homeowners associations reaching a maintenance agreement.

Selectman Jack Sarmanian told French that the planning board did an outstanding job in resolving a potential environmental and pollution catastrophe. He said the planning board handled the situation “appropriately.”

“Davis Island is always generating controversy and is in a state of flux. This brings closure to the situation. You did a good job,” Sarmanian said.

French added that the town also needs insurance for the municipally owned Davis Island sewer and water lines. The town was supposed to purchase insurance valued at $477,000 several years ago, but never did. The planning board researched the ownership of various Davis Island sewer and water lines connecting to the Wiscasset treatment plant. The planning board discovered documents indicating the town’s responsibility for purchasing insurance.

“I don’t know where that figure comes from,” French said. “I’m not sure what the town’s responsibilities are for that line, but the documentation shows we’re responsible for insurance.”

French expects the town’s sewer fund to pay for the insurance.

The four homeowners’ associations agreement was reached before the July 2 public hearing regarding the The Village at Sheepscot’s application.

In other business, the selectmen received notification that Lincoln County Television will charge Edgecomb residents and businesses fees to use its services. LCTV sent a letter indicating the new policy. In May, the town appropriated $500 for LCTV which was $2,000 less than requested.

Edgecomb residents and businesses will now be charged for using the service, training, equipment rental, studio time and the community bulletin board.

LCTV is seen locally on Time Warner’s public access channel. The town receives $5,645 in cable television fees from Time Warner. Sarmanian said the town has declined to pay the full requested amount to LCTV for several years.

“There is opposition to paying the full request because so many people in town don’t use Time Warner cable,” he said. “Maybe the budget committee will reconsider this in the future, but the feeling in prior years has been not to fund them at all.”

The selectmen also met with Gary Balducci who has been charged with reassembling the Conservation Committee. So far, he has recruited three other potential members: Barry Hathorne, Andy Abello and Erik Carlson. The committee is still looking for a fifth member. The Conservation Committee is expected to start in August or September.

The selectmen appointed William Whitezel as the town’s new Emergency Management Agency director. He replaces Larry Olmand who served for seven years. 

The selectmen will meet next at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 6 in the municipal room.