1. Flagpole Dedication, Saturday, Nov. 11 at 10:00 a.m. The Town Clerk requested that she might fly the flag during the November 7 Election. Permission was granted.
2. Lallis Property: Stuart has met with BRLT; the federal lien release depends upon whether a "right of redemption" was ever filed by the Town. The Town Treasurer said that at the time, the Town did not file with the IRS to waive any liens, for which there is a deadline before foreclosure can be made. Since the Lallis property is to be exchanged for the Church property which is currently owned by a non-profit organization, no sale or profit will be involved, so perhaps the lien can be lifted because of that consideration. Stuart said he preferred to deal with the Boston Special Procedures office of the IRS rather than the office in Augusta. The Treasurer said she has papers relating to this matter which she will put at his disposal.
3. Voting Booths: The Town Clerk requested assistance in setting up the six voting booths required for a national election. A table will also be needed for the new computerised vote recording equipment. Space must be made available for organizations with petitions.
4. Tidewater: Jo reported that Tidewater Telecommunications has been laying buried fibre-optic lines down the River Road, ultimately to reach St. Andrews Hospital. It was discussed whether a town as a whole can change telephone carrier. Stuart was of the opinion that Tidewater as a server would limit in-state long-distance calling, being oriented toward Waldoboro and Rockland more than toward Wiscasset and the Boothbay area. This issue should be discussed with local Verizon authorities.

1. Public Notice Seminar: Jo reported on a seminar presented last week by Bernstein Shur law firm, discussing public meetings, and public records including those generated by electronic means. She will digest the manual she received at the seminar. Of critical current interest:

   The Public must be notified of all regular meetings held by Selectmen and any Committee, Board or Task Force, whether Standing or Ad Hoc, any hearing, or any unscheduled or emergency meeting in ample time for attendance. Posting of all such meetings may include but not be limited to newspapers, websites, posters in areas where the public will congregate.

   All drafts of planning applications, such other public documents as appropriate, must be kept.

   E-mails, when they concern the conducting of public business, should be kept in a form available for public access.

   Erin Cooperrider noted that Joan Fortin of Bernstein Shur, one of the seminar presenters, has offered to bring this seminar to Edgecomb for the benefit of all municipal officers and boards, etc.

2. New Policies concerning Warrants: The Town Treasurer brought new policy statements on Treasurer's Disbursement Warrants for Employee Wages and Benefits and on the Disbursement of Municipal Education Costs, in order to provide consistently timely payment over holidays or periods of emergency.

   The first policy enables any one of the three selectmen to review, approve and sign municipal treasurer's disbursement warrants for wages and benefits only. The Selectmen voted unanimously to accept this policy.

   The second policy permits the municipal treasurer to disburse funds to pay municipal education costs when signed and approved by school authorities alone, no longer involving the selectmen. The Selectmen voted unanimously to accept this policy.

   Both these policies are subject to annual renewal.

3. Appointment of Elections Warden: The Selectmen unanimously appointed Claudia Coffin as Election Warden for the November 7 national election.
4. Voting on a Warrant: It has come to the Selectmen's attention that the bi-weekly disbursement warrants must be officially reviewed, approved, and voted to accept. This policy will go into effect with the next regularly occurring bi-weekly warrant.

1. Impact of the CHOM Townhouses of Davis Island project on the school budget: Erin Cooperrider presented a projection of school-age children who might become residents of the workforce housing project in the TIF District, based upon the numbers and ages of children living at Stevens Green in Rockland. According to the chart, the highest number of children anticipated per class (including middle and high school) would be 3. Of the projected number of students in high school, many may be within a single parent family. There are no special-needs children in the Rockland project. Erin pointed out that residence in the CHOM project will be income-limited. By the time a working family can afford to buy a home, they will need to move elsewhere. How many might stay in Edgecomb cannot be predicted.

   Discussion included ways to get the workforce housing taxes into the General Fund without drastically changing the TIF agreement. To do this would require an entire new set of plans and state agreement. It was noted that the TIF debt may well be paid off before the 30-year extent of the TIF District. Erin noted that since the TIF revenues are limited to cover infrastructure costs within the TIF District, any charges for services to the workforce housing project can be paid for from them.

#9 = $7,700.42, the current installment amount for the Bathgate snowplowing contract. These payments must be made on the final warrant of months from September 2006 through April 2007.