After three years of work, the Joint Economic Development Committee is wondering what its future will look like. The 10-person committee has four Boothbay and four Boothbay Harbor representatives and both town managers. Formed in 2015, the committee has sponsored creation of a master plan for peninsula economic growth. It also has initiated creating Boothbay Lights and Holiday Lights to spur local winter commerce.

But the near future may be different. The committee request for municipal money is down for Fiscal Year 20. The committee requested only $17,000 each from Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor which is $8,000 less than each of the preceding years. Boothbay representatives Andy Hamblett and Steve Malcom discussed a possible direction change for the JEDC during the Feb. 27 Boothbay selectmen’s meeting.

In the past year, JEDC members have questioned their “relevance,” according to JEDC co-chairman Andy Hamblett.

“Our internal discussions center around whether we should morph into a different entity. "The JEDC has done a great job in getting the two towns working together, but we’re wondering if it should morph into another non-profit group to work as a conduit for these projects,” he said.

Two JEDC projects have already splintered off under the direction of subcommittees and would likely continue as separate entities according to committee members. Boothbay Town Manager Dan Bryer reported the Housing Committee is close to making progress. Bryer has contacted local developers in providing rental, stick-built and modular housing projects. The sub-comittee’s major challenge is finding suitable developers who share the committee’s affordable housing goal.

“There is a definite need for affordable housing. I made a couple of calls and found a family from Texas with a 10-month-old and a BRES elementary school teacher from Jefferson who has five kids who are interested in moving here. That is six kids in just two calls,” he said. “The problem is finding a developer who isn’t interested in maximizing  profit. We may need covenants so these projects are affordable and not sold as a $170,000 summer home.”

The JEDC’s broadband project is still formulating a survey gauging the peninsula’s internet needs. The subgroup received a $7,500 Maine Community Foundation grant to implement a plan for broadband coverage in the peninsula. Selectmen discussed using those funds for hiring Boothbay Region High School students to survey local households for internet speeds.

In other action, town officials are concerned about large ice patches  near the roundabout. Selectman Steve Lewis requested Bryer contact the developer because the project was still under the first year warranty. But Bryer didn’t believe design is a contributing factor. “It’s just not on Country Club Road. It’s all around town and Boothbay Harbor, too,” he said. “I think it has more to do with heavy snowfalls followed by rapid melting.”

Selectmen also reviewed two more town meeting articles. Article 28 would authorize returning easements obtained by the roundabout project back to the Maine Department of Transportation. Bryer reported this was a standard procedure in projects like the roundabout. “Basically, if voters don’t approve this, the state would take them by eminent domain,” he said. Article 29 pertains to the consent decree regarding the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens lawsuit against the town. In the consent decree, a rider was added making the town a third party to the easement granted to Boothbay Region Land Trust. “So if the consent decree is violated, the town is allowed to enter into a lawsuit as a third party.  All the article asks is if voters would want the town to have that option,” Bryer said.

Selectmen also amended the town manager’s account in the proposed warrant by $4,000. On Feb. 14, selectmen approved a raise for Bryer bringing his salary from $72,000 to $76,000.

Selectmen meet next at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 13 in the municipal conference room.