Edgecomb selectmen are grappling with how to handle a couple municipal projects. One is fairly simple. The other is more complicated. On March 19, selectmen considered using American Rescue Plan Act funds to provide gravel for a road improvement project. One would give the Schmid Preserve Advisory Board $3,000 for a border flagging project. (This paragraph was corrected after its initial posting)

The road project would purchase gravel to fix a portion of Old County Road. Chairman Mike Smith described the path as part-town and part-private road. “At one end, it becomes public then becomes private. The problem is people need to travel the private section to get to the Schmid Preserve. We’d like to use ARPA funds to repair the private road, but I’m not sure we can spend tax dollars on private property. But can we use ARPA funds?”

Smith and Selectman Michael Maxim planned to attend the Schmid Preserve Advisory Board meeting March 20 to seek their opinion on both projects.

In other action, the town report is slowly coming together. Smith reported all department head annual report letters were ready. The board chose to dedicate this year’s town report to Bob Brown. He previously served as a selectman and planning board member. “If you want to know about Edgecomb back in the ’70s and ’80s, he is like a local historian,” said Town Clerk Claudia Coffin. 

Selectmen granted Applecroft Catering a special one-day license on June 22 for a Glidden Point event. The board also received a proposed mowing contract from Allen Hersom & Sons. Hersom has mowed four local cemeteries and three municipal properties for several years. His bid for town hall and the fire department is $3,125. Payments would be made monthly from May to September at $625 installments. The bid also includes fire department and town hall cleanup.

Other bid proposals include $310 per cut for Onion Cemetery and $60 per cut for the lower section. Baptist Cemetery is $250 per cut. Spring cleanup for Baptist is $220, and fall cleanup is $280.

North Edgecomb Cemetery is $500 per cut and $150 per cut for the lower section. Highland Cemetery is $175 per cut and the lower section is $75 per cut. Spring cleanup is $250 and fall cleanup is $280.

Selectmen meet next at 5 p.m. tonight, Monday, March 25 to finalize the town meeting warrant. The next selectboard meeting is at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 2 in the conference room.