NORWAY — The Select Board approved a resolution that will allow the town to apply for funds from the Community Action Grant Program.

The resolution designates Town Manager Dennis Lajoie “to coordinate the planning, implementation and monitoring of energy and resilience projects and to be the primary point of contact to the Community Resilience Partnership.”

The partnership provides grants to municipalities to develop strategies to lower energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

The town has already held a community workshop and has completed the partnership’s community resilience self-assessment and list of community actions.

Among the priorities established are an assessment of critical infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, and a vulnerability assessment that identifies climate risks in vulnerable populations to reduce risk and develop evacuation plans. One action area spelled out in the resolution met with one member’s objection, the idea for the town to purchase or lease electric vehicles for town use.

That was a nonstarter for Selectman Thomas Curtis, who pointed out that electric car owners do not contribute to the upkeep of Maine roads since they do not pay a gas tax. Until the state addresses that issue and develops a plan to have electric vehicle owners pay for road repairs, he could not support the resolution and grant program.

Although his colleagues stressed the resolution and partnership can’t address Curtis’ reservations on electric vehicles, a solution which must be applied at the state level, the selectman was unmoved.

The resolution passed 3-1 with chairman Russell Newcomb, Ryan Lorrain and Dennise Whitley voting in favor and Curtis casting the lone “no” vote. Sarah Carter was absent.

In other business, the board set the Town Meeting date for 7 p.m. June 20 at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School.

Selectmen accepted a $100 gift from Town and Country Community Center to the Fire Department, which will be added to the new equipment fund on the recommendation of Fire Chief Dennis Yates.

The board also approved a one-night liquor license for a fundraising event at Alan Day Community Gardens on Whitman Street from 4-9 p.m. June 25. The event will be catered by Norway Brewing Co.

Earth Day events will be held April 22-24 at the Cottage Street Recreation Area. Sponsored by the Center for an Ecology-based Economy, the organization will rent four tents and expects to host 80-120 people each day.

In a special town meeting held before the board meeting, voters approved appropriating $25,000 from the undesignated unrestrictive fund balance to pay for “advertising, consultant and recruitment” to fill vacancies for several key town positions later this year.

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Photo: First sign of spring