Edgecomb businesses and residents can soon take a survey that may affect the town’s future broadband coverage, resident Janet Blevins told selectmen Dec. 3. Blevins is on the town’s website committee and reported to officials about a ConnectME, seven-town broadband planning project.

As Blevins summarized, Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission (LCRPC) received a ConnectME grant for broadband planning. The $6,825 first phase of the grant calls for a survey of businesses and residents in each town to determine “if we need or want better coverage,” Blevins said. There are no costs to Edgecomb to participate in the survey, but timing is critical and the goal for responses is mid-January.

Axiom Technologies of Machias is helping with the project.

The committee hopes a combination of 50 residents and businesses in Edgecomb will respond to the survey. For businesses, multiple choice questions include “How important is the internet to your business?”; “Over the past few years have internet speeds kept up with your business needs?”; and “What does your business use the internet for?”

For residents, the survey asks questions including: “Are you happy with your current internet service?”, “Do you or anyone in your household work from home?” and “Do you have children or adults in your household who use the internet for homework or education?”

LCRPC Executive Director Mary Ellen Barnes told the Boothbay Register in a phone interview, “Over the next six weeks we are aiming for quality responses, to find out the current status of internet quality and service. We also want to find out ‘What do the towns want?’”

Barnes said phase 2 of the project will look at the design of expanded and new broadband services. The grant funds of $31,850 for Phase 2 have been awarded and are in escrow, Barnes explained.

In other business, budget committee members gave selectmen the 2018-19 meeting schedule. Committee members are Blevins, Jack Brennan, Karen Potter and Joe McSwain.

Brennan opened the discussion asking “What’s our mandate from the select board?” He cited a number of considerations for the committee including repair for the salt shed, the county tax and nonprofits' requests.

Brennan referred to requests Fire Chief Roy Potter made earlier in the meeting. Potter had asked the selectmen how to proceed on needed items like a communications channel for paging. “We’re trying to be responsible,” Potter said. “But there are only so many grants we can write and we are looking for guidance.”

Brennan also suggested an increase in firefighters' wages. “It’s morally the thing to do," he said.

EMA Director Bill Witzell gave selectmen the November report which showed 23 calls. Nine involved motor vehicles including a rollover and a vehicle that slid off the icy road; five involved downed trees or power lines and five calls were for medical assistance.