For 25 years, Barry Johnston of Edgecomb brought happiness to Boothbay region children in his role as Santa Claus’s No. 1 Elf. Beginning in 1988, Johnston assisted the Boothbay Fire Department hosting Santa Claus’s annual trips to the Boothbay region.

During a ceremony at the Nov. 11 selectmen’s meeting, the town of Boothbay thanked the former Edgecomb fire chief for his assistance. Boothbay Fire Chief Dick Spofford presented Johnston with a plaque and letter signed by firefighters and municipal staff thanking him for bringing joy to the region’s youth each Christmas season.

Spofford apologized for not recognizing Johnston’s contribution to the community sooner.

“This might be a couple years late, but we invited you here tonight to thank you for your community service. For over 25 years, you’ve been a good friend of Santa and brought the Christmas spirit to the Boothbay region,” Spofford said.

Johnston retired from his role as “Santa’s  No. 1 Elf” in 2013. Boothbay firefighter Joe Hall has assumed the role for the past two years.

Comprehensive Plan’s next step

The selectmen discussed the comprehensive plan’s next step. Voters ratified the updated plan on Nov. 3. The town has two years to incorporate the comprehensive plan into its land use ordinances. The selectmen and planning board favor hiring Mark Eyerman as a consultant, according to Town Manager Dan Bryer. Eyerman, president of Planning Decisions Inc., a South Portland consulting firm, assisted the comprehensive planning committee in writing the updated document.

In 2013, Eyerman agreed to a $30,000 fee. The committee expected to use his services for one year, but the updated comprehensive plan took three years to develop. The selectmen and comprehensive planning committee want Eyerman to serve as the planning board’s consultant as it revises the municipal land use ordinances to conform with the comprehensive plan.

Selectman and Comprehensive Plan Committee Chairman Chuck Cunningham indicated Eyerman is agreeable to continuing to work with the town. Eyerman has proposed working on an hourly instead of a contractual basis.

But selectmen Dale Harmon and Steve Lewis favor entering into a short-term contract with well-defined parameters.

“We need to see if he is willing to do a shorter contract. I don’t want to get into a situation like last time where he ended up working three years and getting paid only for one,” Harmon said.

 Bryer will contact Eyerman about working as a planning board consultant.

Selectmen also unanimously approved a wharves and wiers permit for an Ocean Point Road resident. The board granted Cathy Hodgdon a permit to construct a pressure-treated, four-by-six foot wood access platform, a six-by-80-foot pier with batter pilings, a three-by-40 foot aluminum ramp, a pressure-treated wood 12-by-30-foot float, and a 10-by-40-foot timber haul out located on Linekin Bay.

The wharves and wiers permit still requires planning board approval.

The selectmen will meet next at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25 in the municipal building.