After signing a letter of support last year, Boothbay Harbor's selectboard was asked to continue assisting efforts to bolster climate resiliency – this time with money. Jan. 27, Shri Verrill from Sunrise Ecologic updated the board on resiliency work in the region and requested capital reserve funds be set aside for future efforts.   

Verrill works with Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and the Boothbay Region Climate Action Team (BRCAT) as a contracted service provider to help coordinate regional efforts on climate hazard resiliency. Verrill and Lenore Imhof, a Boothbay Harbor BRCAT representative, discussed ongoing and future plans for the work, including a vulnerability assessment, public outreach and education.  

In April, the selectboard signed a letter of commitment that expressed support for both bolstering the region’s resiliency to climate change and a grant application to Maine Community Resilience Partnership, jointly filed with Boothbay. BRCAT and Verrill told the Register the towns received an almost $79,000 Community Action Grant in October to support the work, and additional rounds of grant funding are possible.

The Boothbay selectboard agreed Jan. 22 to set aside $20,000 in capital reserves for climate action planning, and Verrill asked Boothbay Harbor to do the same. She said reserve funds would help proactive planning and can be used for resiliency projects including restoring natural buffers and wetlands, upgrading infrastructure, and developing hazard mitigation plans that align with federal funding priorities. She said the money can also be used to leverage state and federal funding, especially from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“As we engage with the community to find out what the community really wants the vulnerability assessment to focus on, the intention is to hone in on priority climate actions,” Verrill said. “So, whichever funds are most appropriate for that will be the ones we'll be keeping an eye out for.”  

The board did not make a decision but said the opportunity has not been lost to include the funds in the upcoming town budget. They agreed to discuss it at their Feb. 24 meeting after further review.  

In other business, selectmen unanimously approved a wharves and weirs application for a four-foot-by-40-foot float at 260 Samoset Road. According to the harbor master, the float did not interfere with navigation and does not impact fishing or abutters, and the board agreed. The code enforcement officer reported there were no comments or objections from abutters.  

The board approved transferring police department reserve funds to purchase new rifles. According to Town Manager Julia Latter, the department needs rifles and had around $7,000 of unearmarked money in a reserve fund. The board approved moving $4,746 from reserve to equipment funds to pay for the guns.  

Lastly, the board sent several drafts of ordinance revisions to the town attorney for legal review. The planning board hosted a workshop Jan. 23, at the selectboard’s request, to review ordinance changes and give feedback, and several selectmen were present. The selectboard moved forward with ordinances including allowing multifamily residential units and hotels in the downtown business zone, increasing building height restrictions to 35 feet, allowing accessory dwelling units in commercial spaces, and correcting ambiguous language around nonconforming structure. The board agreed they would make a final decision about which changes would go on May’s town meeting warrant after the language is finalized.