Axiom Chief Executive Officer Mark Ouellette told Wiscasset selectmen Dec. 20, “it is relatively clear that the numbers do work” for publicly owned broadband. Or he said the town could stick with provider-owned and avoid financial risk but miss out on the greater control he said ownership offers.

Ouellette said costs to borrow are up and the public option would cost $27,000 more a year in bond payments than the $86,301 in his report. It had projected a $5,206,169 construction cost including a $1,316,700 local match and the other $3,889,469 to be sought in state grant funds; costs include licensing, poles, a utility hut, installing equipment in homes, building the system and managing the project.

Ouellette hoped to have a revised report done by the first of the year. Besides updating costs, he plans to report what the town could make if as few as 35% of potential customers subscribe, and how few subscribers it would take to break even “just to pay the bills.” For Wiscasset, that would be about 508 subscribers, he said. He is also running the numbers for Woolwich and Dresden. They and Wiscasset sought the report as the towns discuss broadband.

On a question from Selectman William “Bill” Maloney, Ouellette said if the town owned the system, it could insist a provider serve all of town. And if not satisfied with the job a provider is doing, “you could change operators, potentially.”

Selectmen’s Chair Sarah Whitfield announced there will be many more chances to talk at workshops and hearings. The board discussed possibly meeting soon with other providers besides Axiom, including Consolidated. According to the Dec. 20 discussion, the board and its counterparts in Dresden and Woolwich can consider forming a utility district or separately going with public ownership or a public-private partnership. Town Manager Dennis Simmons did not recommend giving voters all three options to choose from. “I think that would be a nightmare.”

Also Dec. 20 in the meeting at the town office and over Zoom and YouTube, the board approved 5-0 the consumer fireworks sales license request from Big Al’s Fireworks Outlet, 300 Bath Road. Before the vote, resident Thomas Bryant asked the board to wait for a Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruling. According to courts.maine.gov, Bryant and Kathleen Bryant have appealed a Superior Court’s affirming of the town’s decision to award Big Al’s a three-year business license.

Simmons told selectmen the law court’s decision might be weeks or months away; that the State Fire Marshal’s Office has no violations at JB’s Way; and that a court has said it is not up to the board to interpret state law and the board, when making a decision, can rely on the Fire Marshal’s Office’s decisions.

Simmons told selectmen his advice was to follow the town attorney’s advice.

The town’s TextMyGov service has had a soft rollout and seems to be working if people use the widget at wiscasset.gov, Simmons said. He noted those who sign up can get text alerts, and can send them for non-emergencies such as reporting potholes or requesting agendas. “If you type in something (the service) thinks is going to be for an emergency, it’s going to send you back a message (saying to) call 911,” he said.

As for the town website, Simmons called that a work in progress as Administrative Assistant Robin Plourde makes some fixes and the town eyes a redesign to make things easier to find. “I’m pretty excited about what we’re seeing so far ... Keep your eyes open. We’re getting there.”