WILTON – At the Wilton selectboard meeting on Tuesday evening, the board discussed internet options for the town and the Maine Connectivity Authority grant. The town has entered into an agreement with Matrix and Consolidated Communications is expanding its services. Brian Lippold, a consultant, spoke to the board to lay out the options going forward. He explained that when the town applied for the MCA grant, it was not known that Consolidated Communications would be expanding its reach in Wilton. This development puts the grant at risk, as the town must demonstrate that at least half of the potential subscriber locations have signed up for service and with more options presented to them, this will be difficult to achieve.
“I don’t think that that’s achievable at this point with both Consolidated and Spectrum coming into the market,” Lippold said. He advised them to terminate their contract with Matrix, which Town Manager Perry Ellsworth confirmed was possible to do before installation started.
The board ultimately decided to invite Matrix to the next meeting to understand their intentions and get an explanation of the project’s viability so they can compare their options.
The board discussed the turnaround by the memorial in downtown Wilton. It has recently come to light that the land, which has been used publicly for the past several years, is indeed privately owned. The owner has blocked off the turnaround, making it impossible for the public to use it. The cones have since been removed, but the board is looking for a permanent solution. Ellsworth wanted to ensure that the communications with the owners are prioritized before any decisions are made by the board.
Many members of the public attended the meeting to share their perspectives on the issue. Nancy Walters expressed her concern about propane deliveries and school buses relying on the turnaround.
Access to the shops, post office, and public library were questioned. Selectperson Keith Swett reported that it is legal to do a U-turn in downtown by the post office.
Ellsworth said that the town is set to use the turnaround as they have in the past during the Blueberry Festival. The board assured the public that they would take their thoughts under consideration in the future, but no decisions will be made until Ellsworth speaks with the owner of the property.
This meeting was recorded by Mt. Blue TV and is available for viewing online at MtBlueTV.org
