Prior to the selectmen's meeting Monday, June 12, a handful of Boothbay Harbor business owners and residents joined with Planning Board members and the selectmen for a workshop to discuss marijuana. The uncertainty of how to present a vote to the public in November changed to a weak consensus that issues should be drawn out into separate questions rather than rolled into one.

Select board chair Wendy Wolf explained that the issues facing the community are “the five legal retail marijuana uses which include cultivation facilities, marijuana product manufacturing facilities, marijuana testing facilities, marijuana retail stores and marijuana social clubs.”

Wolf said cited three avenues for a referendum on marijuana sales: a non-binding referendum, five separate ballot questions, or one question on all aspects of the marijuana industry in town.

Though there were meeting attendees who favored the second and third options, few were keen on the idea of a non-binding referendum because it does not solve any issues before the state moratorium on marijuana sales ends in January 2018. There was a short discussion on the possibility of a six-month local moratorium, which would give time for further discussion, research and planning.

At the selectmen's meeting that followed, Town Manager Tom Woodin said $21,000 has been raised for two out of three fireworks events this year; $9,000 still needds to be raised for the third one, during the Festival of Lights this winter.

Wolf said the Joint Economic Development Committee has been meeting for nearly two years and now includes representatives from Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb and Southport. “We’re truly focusing on trying to develop a regional coordinative strategic approach to economic development,” said Wolf. “One thing we’ve been trying to do is build on the region’s assets, what we do well and what things make us unique.”

“When the (committee) determined that we would help sort of springboard the FOL, we knew that this would be a multi-year activity and that it would take several years to get it off the ground,” Wolf said.

Much of last year’s success was attributed to the many recruited locals, businesses and various board members along with Green Tree Events Consultants, which had a $25,000 contract for year one. The JEDC voted to ask the selectmen to approve Boothbay Harbor’s share of the $25,000 cost to retain the business for a second year— $12,500— the same figure as last year.

In addition, the JEDC was also seeking approval for Boothbay Harbor’s portion of a $2,400 retainer for Thalo Blue, a firm which will help additionally in the preparation of the festival. The board approved both requests.

With the costs of the JEDC examined as a whole, Green Tree Events Consultants ($25,000), Thalo Blue ($2,400), the Wayfinding project ($9,000), and the cost of developing a strategic long-term plan with Camoin Associates ($40,000) the total is $76,400. When all is said and done, the JEDC will have “a residual amount of about $33,000,” said Wolf.

The town financial numbers to date were reported by Finance Officer Julia Latter. Revenue was at $7,587,000.63; expenses, $6,945,632.87, and bank balance, $2,780,861.53.

Selectmen voted unanimously to carry the 2016-2017 fee schedule over into the 2017-2018 fiscal year.

After reaching out to the public, the town now has five new committee and board members:

Board of Appeals – Merritt Blakeslee and Lawrence Rebel

Port Committee – Michael McBride

Budget Committee – David Galvis and John O'Connell

Selectman Russell Hoffman announced that the Ambulance Service will be holding a fundraiser this summer. “The details aren’t all worked out yet, but I think it’s going to be a softball game and I think it’s going to be with some notable retired professional baseball players.”