Three years after voters approved the purchase of a two-acre wooded lot on George Wright Road, the Woolwich selectboard is seeking a buyer for the property. Before selectmen can sell the lot, they will need voter approval at a special town meeting.

The intent was to use the acreage to construct an access road to Route One in response to the state closing the southern end of George Wright Road. “As things turned out we didn’t need the land after all,” Chairman David King Sr. said. He added, Maine Department of Transportation officials have since promised to make improvements near the municipal building where the George Wright and Nequasset roads meet. “They also agreed to make the traffic light at the Route One intersection permanent.”

The changes resulted from the ongoing Station 46 bridge project that forced the closure of the southern end of George Wright Road where it once linked up with Route One. That will remain a dead end. At a special town meeting in November 2020, voters went along with the selectboard’s recommendation to use $69,000 from the undesignated fund balance to purchase a lot from residents Dennis and Sylvia Fuller, so the town might build a new road providing Route One access. The Fullers agreed to sell it to the town at what was then the current fair market value. King said the town is asking $75,000 for the property, with monies from the sale being returned to the town’s undesignated fund balance.

“It’s a very buildable lot located in a quiet neighborhood,” King told Wiscasset Newspaper. “Our attorney advised us we need to get voter approval before we sell it which means it requires a town meeting.” The lot has about 200 feet of Route One frontage.

When selectmen met Wednesday, Nov. 1 for a regular meeting, they agreed to list the property with Bisson Real Estate in Brunswick. They discussed holding a special town meeting in December, but no date was set. EMS Director Danny Evarts has asked for a warrant article to increase the mileage fee charged for ambulance services. Evarts has recommended raising the rate from $17 to possibly $20 to be more in line with what other area ambulance services charge for mileage. The change also requires voter approval. 

In her report, Town Administrator Kim Dalton told the selectboard due to recent events in Lewiston, the principal of Woolwich Central School had expressed concerns about using the school as the polling place for the Nov. 7 General Election. In response, Dalton said she and the town clerk had reached out to the Secretary of State’s office in Augusta. Selectman Jason Shaw commented if the school had security concerns it could either request, or hire, an officer from the sheriff’s department to be present on Election Day. King said it was too close to the election to find another polling place. “We don’t have room enough here (in the municipal building) to hold a General Election, not even if we use the fire house,” he commented. Voting on Election Day will be at the school; the polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The selectboard adopted a policy providing guidelines for credit card use. The town administrator, EMS director and fire chief are permitted to use a credit card to make purchases for town-related items or services of up to $3,000 each. They must document each purchase, and include receipts when they submit their credit card statement for payment to the town treasurer. Credit card statements must be submitted no later than 14 days before payment is due. The users must also sign an agreement stating they have read and understand the policy.

Following the EMS director’s recommendation, the selectboard signed off on a memorandum of understanding with Maine Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services for grant monies to provide the town’s two ambulances with WiFi and other wireless capabilities. Maine EMS will provide funding for the services for the first two years that will cost $127 per ambulance, per month. Evarts said accepting funding for the software/communication upgrades obligates the town to continue with the services for five years. Maine EMS is looking for further funding to cover fees after the first two years, although that is not a given, added Evarts.

Fire Chief Shaun Merrill said the recent fire department open house was the best-attended one ever. He thanked the community for its continued support and all those who had volunteered their time to stage the event.

Selectman Allison Hepler said the town’s Veterans Day ceremonies will take place at Laurel Grove Cemetery off Middle Road (Route 127) beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11. The ceremony will be held beneath the historic Sailor and Soldiers War Memorial. Roger Brawn, president of the Laurel Grove Cemetery Committee, told the newspaper everyone is welcome to attend whether they are a veteran or not. Brawn added, plans are getting underway for the "Wreaths Across America" ceremony on Dec. 16, also to be held at Laurel Grove Cemetery. 

At the start of the meeting, King asked for a moment of silence to remember victims of the mass shootings in Lewiston.