An Alna land lot that was signed over to a man years after his death could soon be in the hands of his great niece, Nicole Moore of Wiscasset. Alna selectmen on Feb. 11 agreed to sign over the town’s share of the lot to Moore after her lawyer drafts the deed.

Town officials learned last November that the town still owns half of the lot, located near Bog Road. The town had taken it for back taxes and, in 2001, after the taxes were paid, the selectmen in office at the time signed it back over to Moore’s grandfather, William Rines, and Rines’ brother, Glenwood Rines.

Moore’s lawyer Nathaniel Hussey has told the current board that Glenwood Rines died in 1995, so the sign-over of his share didn’t count. Soule has agreed that the town still owns Glenwood Rines’ share.

Third Selectman David Reingardt on Feb. 4 said he would like to see a statement from Soule. At the Feb. 11 meeting, selectmen reviewed Soule’s Feb. 10 email that refers the 2001 sign-over.

“Glenwood was deceased at that time but since that fact was unknown to the selectmen or the treasurer, the town, as is the practice, simply deeded the property to both parties named in the liens. I think that we can consider this to be simply a mistake that can be corrected by giving a release deed to correct this oversight.”

The email goes on to recommend releasing the town’s interest in the property.

“I think this a fair solution considering all of the facts and ends with a result that everyone can live with. If this is agreeable to the board of selectmen, I can transmit this to Mr. Hussey and he can provide a deed for the selectmen to sign.”

“I’m satisfied,” Reingardt said.

Selectmen decided unanimously to ask that the deed be prepared for them to sign.

Reached Thursday, Moore said she was very glad about the outcome. Once she has the deed, she can move forward with plans to sell the property, she said.

Board starts committee on town’s dam

After extensive talks in recent weeks about a committee focused on the town-owned Head Tide Dam, selectmen on Feb. 11 agreed to create the ad hoc panel. About 13 people have expressed an interest in serving on the committee, town officials said.

Representatives for the Atlantic Salmon Federation and Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association have voiced support for the committee as a way to involve various stakeholders in exploring possibilities for the site. The organizations’ representatives have said improved fish passage at the site on the Sheepscot River is a goal but that they would also like to explore memorializing the site’s role in the history of Alna’s Head Tide area and possibly improving the site for recreational use.

The committee will need to research and document land use and property issues in connection with the site, selectmen said. The deed on the concrete dam that once powered a lumber mill calls for the dam to never be destroyed, town officials have said.

Road sign update

Selectmen are continuing to explore buying road signs that would be harder for people to steal. According to a report the board reviewed Feb. 11, residents David Seigars and Chris Cooper found that 10 signs are missing, including ones at Dock Road’s west end, Hollywood Boulevard’s north end, and both ends of Golden Ridge Road.

The report recommends replacing Golden Ridge Road’s signs and two others in the Sheepscot and Head Tide areas of Route 218 with vertical ones on concrete-filled, embedded steel posts. Those four signs are regularly stolen, the report states.