Boothbay Harbor selectmen fielded updates on the American Rescue Plan Act funds, Lincoln County budget and police department Oct. 12.

Chair Mike Tomko said the details about how ARPA funds can be spent are still hazy, but clarity will hopefully come as the first installment of funds should soon arrive. “There are still rules and limits and regulations being changed and drafted and interpreted … (so) it may be slightly premature for us to have a workshop and identify the areas where we want to spend those.”

Town Manager Julia Latter agreed. With half the ARPA funds coming in this week and the other half in 12 months, the town has until the end of 2024 to spend the funds, said Latter.

Selectman Ken Rayle said being a new member of the Lincoln County Budget Advisory Committee as a relatively new selectman has been an education. Rayle said the committee has found most of the increase in costs will be due to employee wages and benefits, but jobs have changed for the better. He also said the budget process is much like how Latter and Finance Officer Kathleen Pearce do the town’s, which is refreshing.

“The other piece of good news, looking out a little bit, is in 2025 the last bond payment will be due on the jail and that's not a small amount of money each year that's going out for that.”

Boothbay Harbor Police Department received a fully funded $5,000 Maine Municipal Association risk management service grant, said Latter. The grant will be used to continue progress on the Maine Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (MLEAP) which Chief Bob Hasch has been working on. Hasch applied for the grant because the work going into accreditation is considerable, Latter said.

Engineering firm Gartley and Dorsky said the footbridge project is still on schedule and November and December deliverables will be met, said Latter. The firm’s survey team completed an “as-built” plan in September. The next step in design development will be putting together construction bid documents which will require an on-site meeting with a couple board members. Latter said she would work out a schedule between the firm and two of the board’s willing participants.

The town received one application for public works’ heavy equipment operator job which has been open for several weeks, Latter said. She and Public Works Foreman Nick Upham will interview the candidate soon.

Absentee ballots for the Nov. 2 referendum are available at the town office, the town's website or the State of Maine website. Absentee ballots can be mailed into the town office or dropped in a drop-box outside the town office, 11 Howard St. In-person voting is from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 2 at Boothbay Harbor Fire Department.