Wiscasset resident Matt Corwin tried to get selectmen to move his mooring back to its original location Tuesday night, but a question from a former selectman sank the idea until the harbor master is consulted.

Corwin, who said he has been trying to get a mooring issue straightened out for two years, said "an agent of the town," an apparent reference to Harbor Master David Sutter, moved his mooring last year without notifying him. Corwin said he was told his mooring was moved because another resident complained that it was too close to his mooring.

Duane Goud, chairman of the board, made a motion to have the town move it back, but former selectman Ben Rines questioned whether town ordinances give selectmen the power to do this.

"Do town ordinances allow selectmen to make decisions to move moorings?" former selectman Ben Rines, Jr. asked. "I'm asking if the board has the authority to carry out that motion - to force the harbor master to move it."

After referring to the town ordinances, Director of Planning and Codes Jeff Hinderliter said, "It would be wise to request that the harbor master do this - it's pretty much under the exclusive authority of the harbormaster." Selectmen then passed a motion to get a statement from Sutter, giving permission for it to be moved. Sutter is leaving his post at the end of the month and the town is looking for a new harbor master.

One of the problems with moorings in the harbor is the lack of a good map, which shows exactly where all the moorings are located. Wiscasset has talked about using GPS to mark the exact locations, but has not yet carried out the project.

Selectman Nicole Viele suggested the selectmen make "straightening out the mooring mess" a top priority.

In other action the selectmen decided to give voters the option of raising or lowering each of the school spending items that will be discussed at a town meeting on Saturday, May 10 at 9 a.m. at the high school gym. Selectmen had the option of just giving voters the option of lowering each category, or giving them the option of raising and lowering each category.

"My personal recommendation would be to go with what the amount that the school committee recommends," Goud said. Veile said this is her preference, too, "but people love the open town meeting." The vote was 4 to 1 to have both options, with Goud opposed. There will be a hearing on the school budget March 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the high school library. Viele suggested the hearing be changed to a bigger room.

In other business the selectmen voted to give the Maine Department of Transportation permission to take heavy trucks and equipment on Route 27 for repaving on Route 27, from the Route 1 intersection to within a mile of the Dresden line.

Goud questioned why the state is spending the money.

"Why are they spending a lot of money on a road that really doesn't need to be refurbished?" he said.

There were several complaints about the quality of the broadcasting of selectmen's meetings on the cable TV channel, including Paul Grover's comment: "My wife and I were watching it, and we couldn't understand a one of 'ya - I thought about getting a lip reader."

Selectman Phil DiVece said some residents have told him they won't come to meetings any more because they don't want to be on TV. Clarkie Jones said he doesn't want to be on TV because "all the women will be chasing me."