From technology to history and how to both spend and get more money, Edgecomb eyed its future Monday night. The Zoom forum had selectmen and several other residents talking about broadband, Edgecomb Historical Society’s needs, and possible improvements to the circa 1794 town hall, including an addition.

The building needs better ventilation, audio-visual equipment, a more inviting look downstairs, and better access for an aging population, participants said. “Getting up and down those stairs gets harder every year,” Jack Dexter said.

A grant writer for making the town hall more pandemic-friendly would qualify for American Rescue Plan Act funds because it would help preserve “continuity of government” in a public health emergency, Selectmen’s Chair Dawn Murray said. Participants discussed one or more committees to look at the addition idea and other possible  projects. Nort Fowler suggested a strategic committee, to come up with the town’s short and long term needs, could help the town get grants. “The bigger the need, the more likely the chances I think.”

The town still has a $3,000 grant from Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission that could fund a committee to discuss an addition and look at what if any uses are possible for the land on the other side of the parking lot from town hall, like a flower garden or small park to honor late, longtime selectman Jack Sarmanian, Selectman Mike Smith said. 

The prospect of an administrative assistant got fresh talk. Suggestions included having the person oversee the town website and be qualified to cover a job’s duties if someone is out or leaves. The pandemic revealed that need, Selectman Ted Hugger said.

Fowler proposed town officials come up with requirements for the possible new job. “Everybody’s feeling an elephant, but nobody knows what it really looks like.”

Edgecomb Historical Society members said it needs any help the town can give toward getting members and funding. It needs both, they said. They suggested the group and the town partner on events like a speaker series, a family day at Fort Edgecomb, art sale, talent show, or a presentation based on interviews Edgecomb Eddy School students could do of longtime residents. Partnering with the town “would help us tremendously with exposure,” Deb Eaton said. “We’re going to fail if we don’t make some changes.”

Murray cautioned, as a nonprofit, the Society can fundraise; the town cannot. So the town would need to follow legal limits on any help it gives, she said. “But we’ll try to figure something out.” The Society can ask for a contribution each year like other nonprofits do, she added. Smith said he could see having exhibit space at town hall for the Society.

On other fronts, Smith said Emily Mirabile, who directs Y Arts, has agreed to help the town celebrate its 250th birthday in 2024. And participants said building out broadband is complicated, costly, needed and a committee or grant writer could help. 

Smith said the board will digest the night’s input and start contacting people to help on the items discussed.