The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is assisting the Wiscasset Police Department with night patrols until the department is staffed adequately. Sheriff’s deputies will patrol from 4 p.m. until 7 a.m. Monday through Friday, a total of 86 hours per week, and Wiscasset Police Sgt. Craig Worster, currently the only full-time officer, will staff the department 7 a.m. through 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The reserve officers will staff the department on the weekends for now.

Interviews are underway this week for police chief, Chair Judy Colby said.

The Public Safety Advisory Council has released its annual report and is now on hiatus until public safety officials have been hired, Town Manager Marian Anderson said.

The town also accepted, with regret, the resignation of Officer James Fisher, whose last day was Aug. 10.

Christopher Morrison, owner of the Minesweeper, which sank in January near Mason Station, has been summonsed for littering, and has a court date of Oct. 25 at 8:30 a.m. in District Court, according to Anderson. Morrison has been asked to remove the vessel by the town on numerous occasions. District Attorney Jon Liberman had told the town the best option for recovering any funds from Morrison was to summons him for littering. According to state statute, the court requires the person to pay a party sustaining damages arising out of a violation triple the damage incurred. For example, if the town has to pay to remove the vessel, Morrison could be forced to pay three times the cost of removal, or the court could require that he remove it himself, and could suspend his driving license or other state licenses until this is done.

Wiscasset has a new codes enforcement officer, Bruce Mullins. He has been on the job for two weeks.

The town accepted seven bids for its tax anticipation note.  Wiscasset expects to use $1,347,000, but will only take funds as needed. Selectmen authorized Anderson and the treasurer to review the bids and award the TAN to the lowest qualified bidder.

Anderson received approval to apply for a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant for airport noise improvement, with a maximum award of $34,200. If awarded, the funds will be used to mitigate noise at Chewonki Campground. Anderson said the town was still negotiating with the campground for the avigation easement at the airport that will affect some trees at the campground, but that no final agreement has been reached. Other work at the airport is also proceeding, including tree trimming and other work funded in a prior grant.

The town approved a new form for an annual license to sell consumer fireworks, and set the initial fee to cover the costs of the application, including a newspaper advertisement for a public hearing.  The board elected not to have fees in subsequent years.  The town also approved a new business license for Julie Ambrosino, doing business as Spruce, LLC, at 49 Water St.

According to Anderson, to prevent people from crossing the White’s Island Bridge, which is in disrepair, the town said the plan is to remove part of the footbridge from the railroad line to the mainland, but leave the rest of the bridge standing. The removal of the near part of the bridge will discourage people from attempting to cross by making the bridge inaccessible, but leaving most of the bridge will keep the town’s grandfathered status among various state agencies for the bridge, pilings, and piers, especially with the Department of Environmental Protection.