WILTON – Residents in the area will soon have high speed Internet access through Beeline Cable, Vice President George Allen told selectmen Tuesday.

Allen said the project is behind schedule due to weather and the Waterville filming of “Empire Falls,” a movie based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Camden author Richard Russo. Allen said the cable company was tied up attaching cable television to the trailers of movie stars as the trailers were moved to different locations.

The high speed Internet access is expected to be available in East Wilton by this summer. Allen said the company also expects to do some line extensions once the access is completely available in the area because those who don’t have cable television lines will now want the high speed Internet access.

In other business, selectmen decided to add two more properties to their Pine Tree Zone economic development program application. Three properties are already part of that application. Added to the application will be the East Wilton Forster Manufacturing plant and the G.H. Bass Manufacturing plant next to the town office. That plant is expected to close early this year.

The Pine Tree Zone will authorize qualified businesses in the manufacturing, technology and financial services fields to receive tax incentives for 10 years by establishing businesses within the zone.

Qualified businesses in a Pine Tree Zone will be entitled to benefits including paying no Maine income taxes for the first five years; a 50 percent reduction of Maine income taxes for years six through 10; a 10-year sales tax exemption for sales to construction contractors of items to be incorporated into the real property associated with a qualifying project; a 10-year sales tax exemption for sales of all tangible personal property to a qualifying business; and an 80 percent reimbursement of employee withholding taxes for qualified employees.

Among other qualifications and limitations, Pine Tree Zones can only be located in areas of relatively high unemployment or low wages.

Officials tabled “to an unspecified date” a request for the support of a draft resolution pertaining to property tax relief and the sales tax.

A Maine group called “Taxpayers for a Fair Budget,” an affiliate of the Maine Citizen Leadership Fund, is asking towns for support of its resolution to increase the state sales tax rate by 1 cent in an attempt to generate property tax relief. Officials said they wanted to determine the response of other towns before making a decision about whether or not to support the effort.

Town Manager Peter Nielsen reported to selectmen the wood harvesting project on the Guy Chandler Road began Monday.

The harvesting will take place on the south end of the Guy Chandler Road on 131 acres of town-owned property. About 50 acres will be cut yielding approximately 610 cord of pulpwood and 120,000 board feet of saw logs. In October, officials awarded a bid for the wood harvesting to L&A Ridley of Wilton.

Officials said their next regular selectmen’s meeting will be held at the newly renovated East Dixfield Fire Station on Route 2 in East Dixfield. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3.

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