If Wiscasset leaves Regional School Unit 12, would residents favor  closing any of the town's three schools? Would they support paying tuition to educate high school students outside town? It would help to know, selectmen said September 4.

Board members raised those questions for possible inclusion in a town-wide survey. Seeking residents' non-binding input early in the process would be “proactive,” Selectman Jeff Slack said. Slack serves on the town committee drafting a plan to withdraw from the district. The committee is “extremely busy,” but could have a subcommittee draft the survey, he said.

Education may cost Wiscasset about $2.5 million more outside the district, so any dollar estimates for options to bridge the gap would provide “something for the people to sink their tooth into,” Slack said. Some figures could be drawn from prior research the town did, selectmen said.

Board members did not cite any preferences for the schools' individual futures. Among scenarios mentioned would be to close the primary and middle schools, house kindergarten through eighth grade at the high school, and have high school students attend schools outside Wiscasset; or close one building and distribute kindergarten through twelfth grade in the other two.

Selectmen briefly discussed holding a non-binding referendum regarding the schools, but they said voters sometimes mistake those for binding ones. A survey would not create that confusion, board members said.

Alna succeeds in request for transfer station contract language

Wiscasset selectmen went along with Alna's request that there be no fee changes at the transfer station within a single contract year. The Alna Selectmen were seeking to prevent more changes like last year's addition of mandatory recycling.

'Charge it!' could soon be heard at town office

Selectmen approved plans to allow credit card payments at the town office. The startup and first-year costs were estimated at $1,205.

Selectman Ed Polewarczyk dissented, citing uncertainty over whether the town will need the funds for other uses.

People come in daily wanting to pay with credit cards, according to Tax Collector and Treasurer Shari Fredette's August 28 letter to selectmen.  The option would be convenient for some bill-payers and could improve the town's cash flow, the letter stated.

Credit card users would have a $1 fee for transactions under $40, or 2.5 percent of the transaction for larger payments, according to the letter.

Board to study ways to help seniors who owe taxes

Resident Dorothy Holbrook informed the board about a law that lets towns vote to defer home foreclosures for senior citizens unable to pay their taxes. Holbrook said she can't pay hers, and she believes a lot of other retired people may be in the same situation. Their incomes don't increase, but “the taxes go up and up and up,” she said.

If the town approved the program, applicants would have to be at least 70, have had the home for at least 10 years, and have a household income no higher than 300 percent of the federal poverty level, Town Manager Laurie Smith said. Smith was not yet aware of any other Maine towns who have undertaken the program.

Some selectmen were concerned about the ramifications of deferring taxes potentially the rest of people's lives or until they leave their homes. “We have become very long-lived people,” so for some, 20 years' taxes could be deferred, Board Chairwoman Pam Dunning said.

It would then be hard for a person's heirs to pay off the taxes within the 45 days they would have before losing the home, Dunning said.

Board members discussed ways to make sure senior homeowners are aware of Maine's property tax and rent refund program. They plan to look more at the law Holbrook brought to their attention and discuss potential methods of tax relief at an upcoming meeting.

“There may be something that would work better for you than this,” Dunning told Holbrook.

“I don't think so,” Holbrook said. “I thought this was the answer.”

Volunteer honored

Town officials surprised Alex Diamond by calling him out from behind the camera to receive a volunteer appreciation award and a restaurant gift certificate. Diamond's audio-visual work allows Lincoln County Television to carry the selectmen's meetings, adding to residents' awareness of town business.