Among the legal documents signed on June 5 was an escrow agreement between the Boothbay Harbor Sewer District and a Portland-based company, PGC2.

This agreement was requested by the district's trustees Chairman Jim Stormont, Michael Feldmann and Deryl Kipp in response to plans by new golf course owner Paul Colombe's plans to put in a driving range where sewer infrastructure is located. This infrastructure includes a pump station and 908 feet of sewer piping.

Boothbay Harbor Sewer District (BHSD) Supervisor Chris Higgins said the district had removed what it could prior to the June 5 meeting and execution of legal documents.

Higgins related the history behind the district's easements on the property in an email to the Boothbay Register: “(The) Harris’ built the project and gifted the system over to the district, along with easement and deeded rights to serve the Fiddlers Green area, the associated pump station on the 18th fairway, the station force main that terminated on Seguin Drive, and the Seguin Drive infrastructure.

Because this infrastructure and other equipment/structures associated with it are of worth to the district, the trustees believed an escrow agreement was necessary.

The mutually agreed upon amount of $50,000 to be paid by PGC2 will be held in an escrow account at a local bank for a period of five years.

Another reason for the escrow deposit: if the district receives requests for sewer service in that area, an entirely new sewer infrastructure would have to be installed. The $50,000 represents a portion of the costs that would be incurred by the district to complete the service installation.

If this service becomes necessary, the district would now have to serve those residents on abutting property to the east. New infrastructure would have to be run easterly along the right of way (Country Club Road) to the Boothbay Region Refuse Disposal District land.

The escrow agreement is for a period of five years and carries a condition: by June 5, 2018, PGC2 must work with the Town of Boothbay to get the town to agree to extend sewer service further along Country Club Road.

This agreement must be assurance, in writing, from the Town of Boothbay; a verbal agreement will not be accepted. If the written agreement is received by the district by that date, the escrow amount and all accrued interest will be returned to PGC2. If not, it will go to the district.

Trustee resigns

Trustee Chairman Jim Stormont announced the resignation of Michael Feldmann, effective June 6. Feldmann became a board member at the October 21, 2009 meeting, filling the unexpired term of Alden Jordan (through 2011). Stormont thanked Feldmann for his service and wished him well in future endeavors. Feldmann and his wife, Susan Hodder, own and operate the Welch House Inn in Boothbay Harbor.

The next trustees' meeting will be on Wednesday, June 19 at 6 p.m. at the district office on Sea Street. Individuals interested in becoming a trustee must be a resident of Boothbay Harbor.