A former Wiscasset selectman urged the board Nov. 18 to "provide oversight" of the planning board. Ed Polewarczyk, also a former legislator, said the selectboard has that obligation and, he maintained, the planning board is "exceeding its authority."

Polewarczyk was talking about the planning board's proposed formalizing of how recent a land survey has to be. On the planning board's Nov. 24 agenda is the possible adoption of a policy to define a "recent survey” as one from within six months of the date on the application for a project.

Also Nov. 24, the planning board has a public hearing on a possible change the town could make to the land use ordinance, to "affirm the Planning Board policy that a survey completed within six months prior to the date of the application meets the definition of 'recent.'"

Planning Board Chair Karl Olson, who also chairs the town's ordinance review committee, told Wiscasset Newspaper, plans call for the ORC to look at that potential ordinance change. 

Polewarczyk said in the selectboard's public comment portion Nov. 18, "I think if the planning board is going to create a requirement, it needs to be in the ordinance. And there seems to be a fine line here between a requirement and an operating procedure. The ordinances give the board the ability to establish their own procedures and their rules for the way they're going to operate. But I think this kind of a thing crosses the line to where they're exceeding their authority.

"This is the kind of a requirement that needs to be specified in the ordinance rather than just as a rule that they were able to sign on," Polewarczyk said. Regarding that and other comments he has made about the planning board, Polewarczyk said, "The selectboard appoints these individuals to the board. They have an obligation to provide the oversight."

As is the selectboard's practice during public comment, Polewarczyk was thanked and no discussion followed.

In a phone interview after the selectmen's meeting, Olson told Wiscasset Newspaper the proposed policy, "just (would) codify what we've been doing for a decade or more ... We've been very adamant about" the six months, the longtime planning board chair explained.

Told of Polewarczyk's comments, Olson said, "He's entitled to his opinion."

Due to the newspaper's early printing for Thanksgiving week, look for any results of the Nov. 24 meeting in the Dec. 4 print edition and at wiscassetnewspaper.com

Also in public comment Nov. 18, Ralph Hilton praised the quality of the ongoing work at selective cutting on Wiscasset’s nearly 300-acre parcel opposite the former Maine Yankee nuclear power plant. The town's contractor on that project is Herman-based Gary Pomeroy Companies, according to an email response from Town Manager Dennis Simmons Nov. 20.

Hilton added, that town-owned parcel should be made into a commercial district due to its nearness to the stored nuclear waste.

Selectmen nodded business licenses for Brill's Bakery, 27 Summer St., and Refind Home, 31 Blagdon Ridge Road.

Simmons’ written report to the board noted Maine Municipal Association Health Trust has said health insurance plans’ costs will hike 9%; dental plans', 5%. "We estimated a 10% increase in the budget, so this should not impact our current budgets,” Simmons wrote.

Simmons said work has begun to install pilings and other infrastructure for the new boat launch floats. And with several committee and board terms expiring Dec. 31, anyone interested in being considered for appointment or reappointment should apply by Dec. 4, Simmons said. Applications are at the town office and at wiscasset.gov