The Midcoast Bypass Task Force met at the Edgecomb Eddy School recently to begin reviewing public comments on the Route 1 bypass Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) with apparently no notice to the public.

According to the state's Freedom of Access law, "Notice shall be given in ample time to allow public attendance and shall be disseminated in a manner reasonably calculated to notify the general public…"

The first time the newspaper learned of the January 24 meeting was from Wiscasset Selectman Bill Curtis who came into the newspaper office to ask if the newspaper was going to cover the meeting. The newspaper has been notified of MDOT's meetings in the past by Carol Morris, a consultant for the MDOT. Morris said this week the meetings are open to the public, there was no intent to keep the public from attending the meeting, and she said she was not aware that notice of the meeting had to be posted.

Wiscasset Town Manager Arthur Faucher said this week Morris informed him of the meeting by e-mail.

The purpose of last week's meeting was to review the written comments that were requested by MDOT after the public hearings held on the draft Environmental Impact Statement

From October 26 to December 21, residents and agencies were encouraged to comment on the routes proposed in the study. These comments have been divided into nine topic areas. The Bypass Task Force Committee will begin to review these topics at their next meeting on February 7. A site for the meeting has not been announced.

The list of topics is as follows:

• complete traffic diversion- Feb. 21

• interchange - March 6

• complete interchange - March 20

• downtown Village issues - April 3

• Englebrekt Road*

• interim or long-term solutions in Wiscasset Village*

• substantiated opinions on alternatives*

• agency comments*

• individuals' comments,* and

• new alignment proposals*

*Dates to be determined.

The Task Force will meet every two weeks and members will have reviewed each written response that was submitted.

Faucher underscored the importance of adding this approach to the review of the project to enhance the previously held public hearings forums.

"A resident may not have been to a hearing, but wrote a letter with their concerns. The Task Force will now review each concern," Faucher said. "If we find that there were a large number of residents who wrote in with the same suggestion or concern, it could affect how the project is completed."

The Task Force is made up of the following representatives from eight towns and three local agencies:

Wiscasset: Arthur Faucher

Don Jones

David Nichols

Edgecomb: Amanda Russell

Joanna Cameron

Barry Johnston

Boothbay Region: Jaimie Logan

Tom Woodin

Ross Edwards

Alna: Doug Baston

Westport: David Bertran

Newcastle: Lee Straw

Woolwich: David King

MDOT: Don Hudson

Dale Doughty

Kat Fuller

FHWA Peter Kleskovic

The Chewonki Foundation is represented by Don Hudson; Leah Sprague represents the Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association; and Norma Dreyfus represents Friends of Coastal Preservation.

All the meetings begin at 6:30 p.m.

Faucher also added that the Task Force will tabulate the number of write-ins that echo the same concern and that will add weight to any individual concern.