Boothbay selectmen discussed their accomplishments for the past year’s performance and began charting goals and objectives for the next 12 months during the Oct. 22 board meeting. The selectmen gave themselves high marks for creating a more community oriented government, economic development, and replenishing the undesignated fund in the past year. The selectmen graded their accomplishments on a scale of 1-10.

The board gave themselves an eight or nine for creating a more transparent government. In the past year, the selectmen oversaw an overhaul of the town website. The new version has more municipal information, has live and recorded video streaming of meetings, a town manager’s blog, and an online community calendar.

The selectmen gave themselves a seven or eight for economic development, and a nine for replenishing the undesignated fund. The selectmen were pleased with reintroducing the tax increment financing, and for a continued strong relationship with the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce.

The town’s undesignated fund grew in the past 12 months by 80 percent, according to municipal figures. The fund started at $437,780 and finished at $768,185.

Town Manager James Chaousis attributed the increase to a lot of good planning by the municipal leaders.

“It has to do with a lot of wise spending,” Chaousis said. “You don’t plan to grow the fund by 80 percent, you hope to. We had a decent year, which turned out even bolder than anyone expected.”

The selectmen had a couple of areas where they didn’t achieve hoped for progress. The board gave themselves an incomplete for not finishing a zoning ordinance and administrative code review, along with completing the comprehensive plan. Both the zoning ordinance and administrative code review are dependent on the comprehensive plan, which began in May 2012.

Chaousis said he urged the comprehensive planning committee to complete its work in time for the May 2015 town meeting.

“The committee was politely scolded during the last meeting (Oct. 20) about their pace,” Chaousis said. “They still have a lot to do with eight meetings left before the town meeting. They were told time was of the essence and (they’ve) got to get going to finish the plan.”

Once an updated comprehensive plan is approved, it will allow the town to proceed with “Business Friendly” status from the state. An updated comprehensive plan will also make the town eligible for state and federal grants.

After reflecting on the past year, the selectmen began focusing on 2015’s goals. The selectmen chose updating the School Charter, economic development and completing the comprehensive plan as their top priorities for the next year.

Town officials have joined forces with Boothbay Harbor and Community School District officials in discussing the charter. The document has stayed relatively unchanged since it was adopted in 1954. The last change occurred in 1977 when it expanded to a grade 7-12 school.

The selectmen also heard from Chaousis about his plans for 2015. The town manager proposed upgrading the facilities at Clifford Park and conducting a property revaluation in two years. The selectmen placed a high priority for improving the park in 2015. Clifford Park includes a playground, soccer and baseball fields. The selectmen have discussed improvements for Clifford  Park in recent months. Lewis said the board will announce those plans at a future meeting.

While improvements to Clifford Park seemed to be a high priority, a property revaluation doesn’t. In 2014, the town underwent a revaluation at a $370,000 cost. And the town is currently at 100 percent ratio of the state’s calculation for what property is assessed and sold at.

“We’re already at 100 percent ratio with the state,” Lewis said. “I can’t see what we can get out of it.”

Chaousis believes despite the 100 percent ratio there are still inequities in the current model. He said real the estate quality rating was “out of whack.”

Chaousis said the 2004 revaluation highly-overvalued tidal water properties and undervalued deep waters. Chaousis believes the property revaluation will correct errors in the town’s quality rating on real estate making the system more fair and accurate.

“Therefore, in my opinion, people on tidal waters, which are mostly local residents, are paying more than their fair share. If that doesn’t sell it (property revaluation) I don’t know what will,” he said.

The selectmen said they needed more convincing that a property valuation was in the taxpayers’ best interest.

The selectmen will meet next at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12 in the municipal room.