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Wiscasset Select Board elects chair, approves licenses, hears sewer funding update and AI policy concerns
Summary
At its June 16 meeting the Wiscasset Select Board elected Alissa Eason chair and Pam Dunning vice chair, approved two liquor licenses and multiple consent items, received a $2.6 million wastewater funding recommendation, discussed tightening the town's AI policy, ratified a police union contract and granted a poverty tax abatement.
Alissa Eason was elected chair of the Wiscasset Select Board and Pam Dunning was chosen as vice chair during the board's June 16 meeting, with each nomination approved unanimously. The board approved its consent agenda, including payroll and accounts payable warrants and a slate of new business licenses, and later approved minutes from its June 2 and June 9 meetings (minutes vote recorded 3-0-2).
The board opened and closed public hearings on two liquor license applications, approving Jolie Rogers, LLC (8 Railroad Ave.) and Panacea, LLC (100 Main St.) without public comment. Select Board member Sarah Whitfield noted during a separate public hearing that a Community Development Block Grant matter under discussion would be fully grant-funded and not use town tax dollars.
During public comment, longtime resident Steve Christiansen said that of 1,073 votes on a recent American Legion flag project, 260 voters — about 24% — had voted "no," and said it was "terrible that there were so many voters that did not support the flag." Ed Polewarczyk asked the board, under FOAA, to provide a legal opinion or documentation showing that the select board is following procedures described in a recent audit regarding approval of the school budget.
Mandy from Olver Associates updated the board on the town's wastewater work, saying Olver had examined the pump station and treatment plant and recommended approximately $2.6 million in improvements. She said three potential sites had been considered — Federal Street, Mason Station and the plant's current location — and that selecting a site and completing an environmental review are required before applying for funding.
On new business, the board reviewed month-to-date financial materials, including year-to-date expense and revenue reports and an H.M. Payson statement of accounts. Select Board member Heather Jones asked the board to consider dedicating the town office "to the Citizens and Taxpayers of Wiscasset," and presented a request regarding the recently adopted AI policy. Jones said she believed the policy should be more restrictive, adding that she would "research to see if it could be turned off" and raised concerns about loss of skills from AI use. Town Manager Dennis Simmons responded that AI is embedded in the town's software and that the town had consulted the Maine Municipal Association; the chair asked Jones to return with a concrete recommendation.
The board named committee liaisons for select board members, executed municipal quitclaim deeds for two properties (187 Lowelltown Road and 42 Federal Street), and entered an executive session at 7:39 p.m. under 1 MRSA §405(6)(D) to discuss labor negotiations with the Wiscasset Police Association. The board exited that session at 8:11 p.m. and ratified the union contract by unanimous vote. Later the board entered executive session under 36 MRSA §841(2) to consider a request for a poverty tax abatement; after exiting, the board granted the abatement by a 3-0-2 vote.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
