May 26, Boothbay Harbor selectmen heard from Emily Huber, director of Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency (LC EMA), about the revised regional hazard mitigation plan. The plan was previously adopted in 2021 and is updated every five years. Selectmen will vote on the revised version June 8. The plan is on the LC EMA website.

 

Huber said the plan identifies the top five most hazardous natural occurrences within Lincoln County, including coastal flooding, severe summer storms, severe winter storms and wildfire/drought. Based on information from each municipality, the plan notes areas most affected by these natural disasters.  

 

LC EMA Director John Oaks evaluates Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport, and recently completed a dam drill on the Apalachee Dam in Boothbay Harbor. He also identifies zones that may need to be evacuated in a disaster, so LC EMA can send out federal alerts to residents.

 

“By signing on to the plan, it really doesn't give you an obligation, but it gives you the awareness that ... these are the areas that we want to improve upon in the future," said Huber. 

 

Identifying these weak spots can make applying for hazard mitigation grants easier, because work has already been done to classify the area as an issue; they are considered partially “shovel-ready,” Huber explained. It is also simpler to receive and hold onto pre-disaster funding, rather than post-disaster, which is cumbersome and involves government assessments of the affected regions.  

 

Huber briefly discussed the work her office is doing with Boothbay Harbor Police Department and the Coast Guard to plan for the safety side of Windjammer Days. This includes keeping a command center open and operational during the event.  

 

Community Resilience Planner Laura Graziano of Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission (LCPRC) spoke about the recently updated Lincoln County Strategic Plan. The six identified priorities were the same as the 2021 plan: housing, economic and community development, transportation, intergenerational community building,  environmental sustainability and broadband. The full plan is on the LCRPC website.  

 

In other business, Chair Mike Tomko was selected to serve on the hiring committee for the Code Enforcement Officer/License Plumping Inspector position.  

 

State and local primaries, as well as the validation vote for the Community School District budget, are June 9. The last day to request an absentee ballot is June 4. Polls are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

 

The second Comprehensive Plan public workshop is June 12, 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Virtual only. Link is on the town website.