Because Oak Bluffs has not secured the proper permits necessary to enlist the Edgartown dredge for a planned project in Sengekontacket Pond, the town dredge is set to begin another project in Anthier’s Pond on the Edgartown side, dredge committee chairman Norman Rankow told the Edgartown selectmen on Monday.

“We were kind of on standby for Oak Bluffs,” Mr. Rankow said. He said instead now Edgartown will move forward with its own dredging needs. “We’re going into the pond probably next week,” Mr. Rankow said.

He said he expects some 90,000 to 100,000 cubic yards of sand to be removed from the pond. The spoils will most likely be divided among State, Bend in the Road and Cow Bay beaches. Last year, Edgartown leased 140 feet of beach at Cow Bay for 500 years for a dollar. In exchange, the town agreed to replenish the beach with sand from dredging Sengekontacket. “As part of that process, we’re working toward nourishing that whole environment,” said Mr. Rankow.

A dredging project on the Edgartown side of Sengekontacket was completed last February, but Mr. Rankow said dredging the pond is an ongoing process. “You can never do enough dredging at that pond,” he said after the meeting.

Mr. Rankow said that the town could have begun dredging a month ago, but was waiting to see if it could help Oak Bluffs. He said the town remains willing to work with Oak Bluffs once all the permits are in order. “Should Oak Bluffs come on board, we can make room,” he said to the selectmen. But he said he does not expect it to happen this year, due to time limitations.

“It’s good to get something going,” said selectman Arthur Smadbeck. “I think it helps Sengie. Everybody wants sand, but where they don’t want it is in Sengekontacket.”

In other business, town information technology manager Adam Darack introduced a plan for an emergency notification system for town residents. The simple solution: text messaging.

The plan was sparked by the recent water contamination issue in Oak Bluffs when the town faced the challenge of trying to notify town residents as quickly as possible. “It got me thinking that we need a good plan for getting notifications out on an emergency basis,” said Mr. Darack.

Most people initially found out about the problem from a series of mass text messages that were sent out by the owners of Sharky’s Cantina.

Mr. Darack said a mass text-messaging system is relatively inexpensive and a good alternative to a reverse 911 system, which requires more time and effort to get started. A texting alert system will cost the town approximately four cents per message. It would also be immediate. Mr. Darack expects to have the system in place and ready to use by next week.

Town residents would have to opt into the service by visiting a Web site, entering their contact information, and then signing up to receive the messages.

The selectmen supported the idea. “With good publicity, I think we’d get a good response,” said board chairman Michael Donaroma.

Mr. Darack will put more information on the town Web site, and plans to give a short presentation about the program at the outset of the special town meeting on Oct. 27.

Selectmen also approved a request from the mobile dental care program Vineyard Smiles to hold a dental clinic for low-income senior citizens. The clinic will be held in the selectmen’s meeting room in the town hall on Friday, Oct. 30. Seniors who receive fuel assistance qualify, and must fill out a form to receive dental services. For more information, contact Vineyard Smiles Director Sarah Kuh at 508-696-0020, extension 11.