Select Board Meeting ~ June 10, 2025

2025-06-10 · Select Board · 1:27:58 · watch on YouTube →

The Select Board met on June 10, 2025 and made appointments to the board of appeals and the solid waste committee, then took up the vacancy left by Heather Roy's resignation. Jerry (?) reported MMA's advice that the board cannot appoint a replacement, and after weighing a special election, the June municipal election and the November ballot, the board voted to fill the seat in November. It set out a goal setting process running from a select board workshop on June 24 through a joint session with boards and committees at the second July meeting to objectives adopted in early August. The town manager reported on the software replacing Trio, and the board agreed to cut town email accounts back to staff and the select board, and voted to close the town office on July 3 for the Fourth of July. Other items included a proposed fee for amended planning applications, the sale of the old fire department boat by sealed bid, and a GPCOG proposal for a shared communications coordinator.

No written minutes could be matched to this meeting. The transcript records that the speaker changed but never who was speaking, so any name attached to a statement below is inferred from context and is marked (?).

What was discussed

1. 6:30
   Call to order, agenda and minutes

   The chair opened at 6:32 and added two items to new business: the select board vacancy and the goal setting workshop. There was no public comment. The minutes of May 27 were approved on a motion by Deb, seconded by Josh.

2. 6:30
   Policy on board and committee appointments

   The chair reported advice from GPCOG that non-residents would not normally be considered for the board of appeals or planning board but that other committees are at the board's discretion, with town residents considered first where there are competing applicants. On serving on several boards, the advice was again that it is the select board's discretion, with the obvious exception of someone sitting on both the planning board and the appeals board. The town has no written policy or charter provision; Jerry (?) said he has a draft that could be workshopped, and members suggested adopting one as a goal for the year.

3. 12:14
   Board of appeals appointment

   One person, Claire Ross, applied for the vacancy. A board member noted she had offered to step down from another committee if required, and the board concluded there was no conflict with her solid waste committee seat. The chair reminded members that questions about an individual applicant's qualifications belong in executive session.

4. 17:21
   Solid waste committee appointments

   Six applications came in for a five-member committee with alternate seats. The board took the four reappointments, Mil Simon (?), Todd Bolio (?), Claire Ross and Juliet Caplinger (?), appointed Catherine Curtis (?) as the new member and Phyllis Brandon as alternate, following the order the applications were received.

5. 17:21
   Select board vacancy

   The chair noted Heather Roy's resignation and thanked her for her work on the board. Jerry consulted MMA, which advised that the board cannot appoint a replacement as it did for a school board vacancy. The options are a special town election, waiting for the June municipal election when the term expires anyway, or putting the seat on the November ballot.

6. 22:57
   Discussion of when to fill the seat

   The chair argued against a special election on turnout grounds, saying the last one drew perhaps 30 or 40 people and that the earliest realistic date would be late August or September. Members agreed November gives the town a fourth voice for the budget discussions and gives a new member time to learn the role before running again in June, since the seat only carries the remainder of the term.

7. 28:38
   How the November vote must be called

   Josh pointed out that the statute provides for the select board to call a town meeting to elect someone to fill a vacancy, so the item cannot simply be added to an election. The board agreed the intent is a vote at the ballot box in November and that Jerry would work with Jessica to word and post it correctly, checking the process with MMA.

8. 28:38
   Goal setting process

   The chair proposed asking board and committee chairs and vice chairs to bring two or three priorities to a joint session, with the select board asking questions, followed by a select board discussion and objectives adopted at the first meeting in August. Members agreed the select board should first set out its own priorities at the June 24 workshop. GPCOG's Christina is booked for July 8 to present on board member roles and responsibilities.

9. 39:26
   Facilitation and format

   The board decided against paying GPCOG to facilitate the joint session for cost reasons, with the chair facilitating the first half. The chair said he would circulate an outline of how the meeting will run, and members noted budgeting for facilitation could be raised in the next budget season.

10. 39:26
    Public notice of the resignation

    The chair asked for a short press release or news blast stating that Heather Roy has resigned and that the board has voted to fill the vacancy at the November election, so residents do not hear it through rumour. Jerry agreed to draft it once the wording on the town meeting is settled.

11. 44:52
    Town manager report: new software

    Staff were given a demonstration of the software replacing Trio. Jerry (?) said the financial side should be in use in July with the whole system complete by the end of the year, the motor vehicle module being the more complicated part, and that the reporting is much better than the current system. The developer is based in Brunswick and has since signed several larger towns.

12. 44:52
    Town email accounts

    The town pays $5,200 a year for email accounts, many of which go unused for months. Cutting to town staff and the select board would save $2,000 a year; keeping accounts for committee chairs would save $1,700. Jerry (?) said other Maine towns provide accounts only to staff and the council, since free accounts are available.

13. 49:58
    Freedom of access and personal email

    A member raised security and public records concerns about committee business on personal email. Members answered that committee email is largely scheduling, that non-public material should not be sent by email in any case, and that members should be given instructions to set up a separate free account for town business. The board agreed to cut the accounts and to make sure new committee members complete freedom of access training and register the address they will use.

14. 1:00:49
    Town office closure for July 3

    Because July 4 falls on a Friday, a day the office is already closed, Jerry (?) asked whether staff could take Thursday July 3 instead of a floating holiday. Rebecca (?) noted Thursday is the one night the office stays open late and that closures on Thursdays are becoming frequent. The board agreed to advertise the closure well ahead and to look at setting the holiday schedule a year in advance as part of goal setting.

15. 1:06:18
    Fee for amended planning applications

    Jerry passed on George Thebarge's request that the board consider a fee for amended conditional use, site plan and subdivision plans, which currently return to the planning board with no charge. Other towns charge between 50 and 75 percent of the original fee, and the current fee was given as about $300. Members asked for a definition of what changes trigger an amendment, and the item will come back on a future agenda alongside other fee schedule gaps.

16. 1:06:18
    Fire station room reservations

    Following a resident's comments at the previous meeting, Jerry (?) reported that the fire chief has no problem with the current process for reserving the meeting room and considers it a non-issue.

17. 1:12:12
    GPCOG annual meeting and communications

    The chair attended as town delegate and reported that dues rose nominally. GPCOG's communications director raised the idea of hiring a shared communications coordinator split between three to five municipalities, each funding part of the position, to produce newsletters and a communications strategy. Members discussed the town's own newsletter and website reaching fewer people than a community-run Facebook page and asked to hear more about cost and which towns would take part.

18. 1:17:48
    Board member reports

    Deb (?) asked whether the appointment to the county budget committee voted at the last meeting had been acted on, and Jerry (?) said he would check with Jess. Josh, Deb and Rebecca each thanked Heather Roy for her service. The chair thanked Jessica and others who stood out for the school budget vote that day.

19. 1:17:48
    Fire department boat

    The department has taken delivery of a new boat and the old one will be sold. Jerry (?) proposed a sealed bid process with a minimum bid based on a valuation, advertised on the town website and through MMA. The old boat was donated to the town in 2001 by the Stephen and Tabitha King association, and the chief confirmed there is no legal restriction on selling it now. Proceeds go to town revenue, with the intent of outfitting the new boat, since the Firehouse Subs grant covers purchase only.

20. 1:22:59
    Consent agenda

    Rebecca (?) asked about a bill of just over $1,000 from the HR consultant. Jerry (?) said it covers work on the employee handbook, which is not finished, and the staff training, which he described as good, and that the consultant bills as she works. He noted the town has HR and finance support contracted for $65,000 over 18 months against salaries he said would run higher for staff positions.

21. 1:22:59
    Announcements and adjournment

    The town office will be closed Thursday June 19 for Juneteenth and Thursday July 3. The next select board meeting is June 24, 2025 at the fire station at 6:30. No executive session was held.

What was decided

• 6:30
  Approve the minutes of the May 27 meeting, moved by Deb and seconded by Joshpassed
• 12:14
  Appoint Claire Ross to the board of appeals, moved by Joshpassed
• 17:21
  Reappoint Mil Simon (?), Todd Bolio (?), Claire Ross and Juliet Caplinger (?) to the solid waste committee, appoint Catherine Curtis (?) as a member and Phyllis Brandon as alternate, moved by Joshpassed
• 22:57
  Fill the select board vacancy by a vote at the November election rather than a special election or waiting until June, moved by Josh and seconded by Rebecca, with the wording and posting to follow whatever the statute requirespassed
• 49:58
  Cut town email accounts back to town staff and the select board, with committee members asked to set up their own accounts for town business and to complete freedom of access trainingpassed
• 1:00:49
  Close the town office on Thursday July 3, rescinding the floating holiday and making it a paid holiday in recognition of the Fourth of July, moved by Debpassed
• 1:06:18
  Bring a fee policy update covering amended conditional use, site plan and subdivision applications to a future agendapassed
• 1:22:59
  Approve the consent agenda, moved by Josh and seconded by Rebeccapassed
• 1:22:59
  Adjourn, moved by Joshpassed

An outcome reads "unclear" where the recording does not state it plainly. The recogniser drops short words, and "the motion does not carry" is one missing word from its opposite.

Worth knowing

• 22:57
  Heather Roy has resigned from the select board and the board cannot appoint a replacement. The seat goes to voters in November, and because the term expires in June the person elected will have to run again seven months later. The chair said a special election could not realistically be held before late August or September and that the last one drew about 30 to 40 voters.
• 44:52
  The town pays $5,200 a year for email accounts, many of which sit unused for months. Cutting them back to town staff and the select board saves about $2,000 a year; keeping accounts for committee chairs would have saved $1,700. Committee members will be asked to set up their own free accounts for town business.
• 1:00:49
  The town office will be closed Thursday July 3 as well as Thursday June 19. Rebecca (?) noted these are the one night a week the office stays open late, and asked that closures be advertised well in advance and the holiday schedule be set a year ahead.
• 1:06:18
  The town planner has asked the board to set a fee for amended conditional use, site plan and subdivision applications, which now come back to the planning board at no charge. Other towns charge between 50 and 75 percent of the original fee; the current application fee was given as about $300.

Motion language found in the transcript

Located by pattern matching, with no model involved: "I move that", "I'll second", "all those in favour". This is an independent check on the summary above: 7 passages of motion language, against 9 decisions summarised.

Elsewhere

← 2025-05-27 Select Board2025-06-24 Select Board →All meetings