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Boothbay to pursue municipal energy audits, sea-level monitoring after $78,820 resilience award
Summary
Selectmen heard that Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor were conditionally awarded $78,820 through a Community Resilience Partnership grant; the town manager was authorized to arrange no‑cost energy assessments for municipal buildings and the schools and the Climate Action Team has applied for an additional $28,000 for coastal monitoring.
At its Jan. 22 meeting, the Town of Boothbay Board of Selectmen heard a report that the town, in partnership with Boothbay Harbor, was conditionally awarded $78,820 through the state’s Community Resilience Partnership.
Shri Verrill, who said she was appointed to represent Boothbay on the Lincoln County Regional Planning Board, outlined the grant history: a 2022 award process that led to workshops and a municipal resolution adopting six priority climate actions. Verrill said she was hired to manage the grant and to lead assessments, outreach and education under the program.
The Board gave Town Manager Dan Bryer Jr. permission to work with a local contractor, identified in the meeting as Gordan Wiley of Evergreen Mechanical, to conduct baseline assessments of municipal buildings and coordinate a similar baseline with local schools. Verrill told the Board that the contractor has offered to do the assessments at no cost to the town; Bryer was asked to return with assessment results and recommendations.
Verrill also said the town and the Climate Action Team submitted an application for an additional $28,000 focused on localized sea-level monitoring and related work. The project discussion included deployment of hyper-local tide buoys that would send tide information by text to East Boothbay residents once installed.
Board members and Verrill discussed erosion at the East Boothbay causeway and whether responsibility falls to the State or the town. Verrill said the town will need to demonstrate community support and a clear plan to elevate the issue with the Department of Environmental Protection. Selectman Julie Roberts asked that the town establish a reserve fund for climate-action projects to help pay for preparedness measures and match grant funds.
Next steps: Bryer will coordinate the no‑cost assessments with Evergreen Mechanical and the schools and report findings back to the Board; the town will continue work to secure the additional $28,000 and to plan a community discussion about the East Boothbay causeway.
