With Selectmen Thomas Carbone and Brian Schutrumpf absent from the Boothbay Harbor Board of Selectmen's meeting on Monday, November 13 the board was limited in their ability to act.

Boothbay Harbor Police Chief Robert Hasch came before the board once again seeking approval to hire Scott Sutter Jr., as a reserve officer. Hasch told the board that the police department is currently down one full-time officer. With only three active reserve officers, Hasch said that it is sometimes difficult to fill shifts.

Sutter is currently working part-time for the Damariscotta police department, and has worked for the Boothbay Harbor police department and ambulance service. Hasch emphasized that hiring a reserve officer would have no effect on the budget because reserve officers fill in as needed and do not receive benefits. Town Manager Thomas Woodin indicated that using a reserve officer helps to cut down on overtime costs.

Selectman Louis Burnham asked about the pay rate for the reserve officer versus a regular officer. Hasch indicated that Sutter would start at $13.79 per hour, whereas full-time officers make between $22-$30 per hour plus benefits.

James Whiting, a retired Connecticut police officer, addressed the Board. 'I see a lot of crime in Boothbay Harbor, there's gang activities and there's a lot of drug activities, mostly aimed at students at our high school . . . what I've found is you can't get cheap with law enforcement, or any kind of service, police, fire or ambulance.

"We got sued because the politicians brought our police department from 72 down to 40 and we couldn't protect a person…We got sued for over $6 million and lost . . . .We can listen to our police chief or we can pay later.'

Susan Paquette asked why the town underpays its police officers. Selectman Bruce Engert responded, 'We don't have the money for it. This is a small community with limited revenue.'

Selectman Burnham announced that the board would not make a decision on Hasch's request until all the selectmen were present.

Code Enforcement Officer Dabney Lewis said that he had asked Gary and Susan Paquette to update the Board on their progress in removing the former Paquette home on Pine Street.

Gary Paquette thanked the Board for its patience to date, and said that, unfortunately, they had run into a 'roadblock in mid-October.' According to Paquette, their insurer had sent a check that the Paquettes expected would be enough to pay off the mortgage and demolish the house remains. Paquette said that unexpectedly, the mortgage company had taken all of the insurance settlement, and the Paquettes have now engaged a lawyer to fight the insurance and mortgage companies.

In the meantime, Susan Paquette has obtained a personal loan to cover the demolition costs. Paquette received four contractor bids and elected to award the demolition/removal contract to Eric Wood.

They have also finished asbestos abatement of the property. According to Paquette, Wood can demolish and remove the dwelling during the first week of December. Paquette asked the Board's permission to proceed with this plan.

Selectman Robert Splaine asked Lewis for his opinion. Lewis responded that he thought that the Paquettes were making an honest effort to resolve the situation and should be allowed to continue. Splaine agreed.

Selectman Burnham asked if the cellar would be filled and if the cars and trailers on the property would also be removed. Paquette responded that the cellar would be filled; one car had already been removed, and the trailer was expected to be taken soon.

Selectman Engert asked Paquette for assurance that the trailer and remaining car would be removed and the demolition completed the first week of December. Susan Paquette then asked why one car left on the property was a problem. Engert proposed that the Board sign the town's demolition order and if the house had not been demolished and removed by December 10, then Lewis would file the town's order with the court. Ms. Paquette indicated that she would not be removing the automobile.

Woodin asked if the board had any comments on Town Counsel Geoff Hole's recommendations regarding the draft Bayville contract. In particular, Hole questioned the contract's duration. Burnham and Splaine indicated their support for continuing with the contract as proposed, but Engert expressed reservations about the 25-year contract term. The board decided to table the issue until all of the selectmen were present.

Julia Latter, Finance Officer, presented the monthly the financial report. Accounts payable for the month totaled $281,042.30; the bank balance as of November 9, 2007 was $1,176,313.00. Compared to last year at this time, the general fund is '$225,125 to the good,' said Latter.

Health insurance payments were budgeted about $46,000 too high due to an error so there is a $46,000 surplus. 'That actually goes toward the undesignated fund,' said Woodin. Engert asked for the current undesignated fund balance.

Woodin indicated that the current balance is $99,473. Engert asked for the plan for replenishing the undesignated fund. Woodin replied that the first budget committee had set a tentative goal for the undesignated fund of about 10 percent of the total budget. With a five-year replenishment, that would be about $144,000/year.

Engert asked how that would be accomplished. Woodin replied, 'Since 90 percent of our budget is from taxes, it will come from taxes.'

Woodin provided the Board with a monthly cash flow analysis. Year-to-date expenses are about three percent less than expected, and revenues are about three percent more than expected. As previously discussed, the town will need to take out a second tax anticipation loan of about $575,000 in January. Tax anticipation loans are paid off in the same fiscal year. For the next fiscal year, Woodin anticipates that the town will need to borrow about $125,000 less than this year.

Woodin announced that the budget committee would meet on Thursday, November 15. Channel 7 will film these meetings.

The next selectmen's meeting will be on Monday, November 26 at 7 p.m. at the Boothbay Harbor town office.