Damariscotta selectmen held a short reception Nov. 15 with cake and coffee to bid farewell to George Parker, who served the town in numerous capacities for the last 30 years. Parker resigned this year in anticipation of his move to Newcastle.

On Nov. 7, Louis Abbatoni won a five-way race to replace him. The Nov. 15 meeting was Abbatoni’s first meeting on the board. Selectmen heard the town’s emergency management director Steve O’Bryan report on the emergency preparedness plan. The long-term plan involves buying a $70,000 generator that would supply energy to the entire Great Salt Bay School. O’Bryan said earlier discussions involved how to pay for the generator among the towns that use the school and that would potentially use the shelter. However, until the recent storm, the issue had not been given priority.  O’Bryan said he is also recommending as many town officials as possible take a three-hour certification course to work in shelters.

The restroom design will be updated to include solar power for lighting, and the possible Biscay Beach boat launch has been tabled to the Jan. 11 meeting. Town Manager Matt Lutkus said he has only heard comments from people who do not want the boat launch built.

The Egypt Road culvert project has significant cost overruns owing to the quality of the fill under the road, which included trash, old stumps and other material that had to be hauled away and replaced with clean fill that had to be purchased. The overrun, just under $34,000, was taken from contingency accounts and emergency funds, leaving only $3,130 in contingency.

Lutkus’s employment agreement was changed to reflect he is working full-time and to give him an additional 30 days to carry over for vacation. His new agreement runs through June 30, 2019.