Select Board Meeting ~ October 28, 2025

2025-10-28 · Select Board · 1:31:16 · watch on YouTube →

The Select Board met on October 28, 2025, and amended the agenda to take the snowmobile club funding request first. In public comment, Tia Wilson of the Durham Historical Society asked to be placed on an upcoming agenda to propose that the Society take ownership of War Memorial Park and repair the bandstand rather than replace it. The board then heard the Tri-Town Penguins Snowmobile Club's funding request and took a motion to give the club $1,500 from the recreation reserve, a presentation from the Greater Portland Council of Governments and FB Environmental on the town's open space plan, and a communications and engagement presentation from board member Rebecca. The town manager reported a committee resignation, the resignation of the fire chief's assistant, an offer made for the last public works position, and firewood delivered to public works for residents to take. The board approved the previous meeting's minutes and the consent agenda, and noted that November 18 is its only meeting that month with foreclosures, a cash analysis, the retirement plan and the bandstand on the agenda. The meeting adjourned at about 7:55 p.m.

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. 0:11
   Call to order and amendment to the agenda

   The chair opened the meeting at 6:30 with a quorum and the pledge of allegiance. He moved to shift the snowmobile club funding request from third in new business to first.

2. 5:14
   Public comment: Durham Historical Society on the bandstand

   Tia Wilson, chair of the Durham Historical Society and the Durham Cemetery Committee, asked to be added to an upcoming agenda. She said the town voted in April to let the select board explore refurbishing or replacing the bandstand at a cost not to exceed $30,000 from the municipal building reserve, that quotes had been obtained for a new gazebo but little discussion had gone to repairing the existing structure, and that the Society wants to take ownership of War Memorial Park and repair the bandstand. She disputed claims that the structure is not historic, citing roughly 150 years of use and its construction by Joseph Tyler after the Civil War.

3. 5:14
   Minutes of the last meeting

   Deb (?) moved to approve the minutes of the last meeting and Josh (?) seconded. There was no discussion.

4. 10:32
   Snowmobile club presentation

   Duncan Dailyaly (?), president of the Tri-Town Penguins Snowmobile Club, described trail maintenance costs in Freeport, Pownal and Durham: a million-dollar liability policy, three sleds, a groomer, fuel, and bridge work. He described a $120,000 bridge in Pownal built with a grant requiring a 20% match, an 85-foot bridge near Runaround Pond that had to be rebuilt, and a 60-foot bridge moved higher after washing out twice, with decking at $1,900 and $1,800. The club holds an annual landowner appreciation supper.

5. 15:40
   Board questions on the snowmobile request

   The club has about 50 miles of trail across the three towns, about 60 members and $20 annual dues, and the president said his letter in January (?) requested between $1,000 and $1,100. He did not have figures for Durham trail mileage, Durham landowners or Durham members. Registered sleds in Durham were given as 257 in 2025 and 307 in 2024.

6. 20:53
   Snowmobile funding motion

   The recreation account was said to hold about $15,000. Jessica (?) explained that the state returns a per-sled amount for snowmobiles registered in town, with checks of about $1,700 in January 2025 and a larger amount in 2024 (the figures are garbled in the transcript); Freeport contributed $1,100. A motion was made and seconded to give the club $1,500 from the reserve.

7. 26:00
   Open space plan: Greater Portland Council of Governments

   Sarah Milnap (?) of the Greater Portland Council of Governments (?) said the project runs on an $80,000 community action grant with no match and about 24 months to complete, standing in for the staff member who started it. The plan is to set a strategy for land conservation, feed into the upcoming comprehensive plan, and note that about 3% of Durham land was conserved in 2025 against the state target of 30% by 2030.

8. 31:04
   Project tasks, timeline and community engagement

   GPCOG is managing the project and community engagement; FB Environmental is leading data collection, mapping and the inventory report. A survey, a public workshop and a project website were described, with priorities set in later 2026 and the report deliverable due late 2026 into 2027. A site visit took place on October 21.

9. 36:13
   Open space data findings

   The FB Environmental consultant reported more than 750 acres of conserved land in Durham, about 6% of land around aquifers conserved, and at least four farms under conservation easements. She covered wetlands and flooding, aquifer contamination, wildlife habitat blocks, timber harvest data and agriculture. A board member noted a survey found the Blanding's turtle not present although it remains listed.

10. 47:13
    Process questions from the planning board

    Julia of the planning board asked how the project would report back. GPCOG (?) said it would send monthly email updates to the town planner and flag points where feedback is wanted, with a survey and event around January or February. A speaker asked that the inventory be packaged so it transfers directly into the comprehensive plan data inventory.

11. 52:40
    Communications and engagement presentation

    Rebecca (?) presented a working document compiling practice from other towns. She listed what Durham already has, including the website, weekly newsletter, text alerts, Facebook pages, live-streamed meetings and the town manager's open door chat on the last Wednesday of the month from two to three, and identified limited awareness of meetings and events as the main gap.

12. 58:21
    Proposed communications additions

    Suggestions included an events and news hub and a newsletter subscribe option on the website, a resident or staff spotlight, expanding to Instagram and Nextdoor, polls and contests as a way to collect resident data, seasonal gatherings, volunteer recognition, and partnerships with churches, DCS and RSU5.

13. 1:03:51
    Town of Durham page versus All Things Durham

    Rebecca (?) said more residents follow the All Things Durham Facebook page than the town's own page and that some did not know the town page existed, and proposed collaboration rather than consolidation. She also raised forming a committee ahead of the town's 250th anniversary in 2039. A board member raised physical signage at the town office or the Get and Go.

14. 1:08:52
    Board discussion of communications

    Figures given were about 1,800 followers on the Town of Durham page, roughly 3,000 on All Things Durham and 2,000 members on a Durham Maine community page. The board discussed a small community engagement committee, an electronic town sign, a shared GPCOG communications position split across several towns, and the local Sun Journal reporter who covers Durham. No motion was made; the chair asked to put it on a future agenda.

15. 1:13:57
    Town manager report

    Jerry (?) reported that the Freeport Wood Bank delivered wood cubes to public works and to a fire station, free to anyone in need with no application or income test, and that it would be posted to the website, newsletter and Facebook.

16. 1:19:13
    Resignations, hiring and regional meeting

    Claire Ross resigned from the solid waste appeals and agriculture committees. The fire chief's assistant, budgeted at 21 to 28 hours a week, also resigned, and the town manager will bring a proposal to the November 18 agenda. An offer was made for the last public works position, and Durham is hosting the GPCOG north regional meeting from 5:30 to 7:30.

17. 1:24:30
    Chair report and November 18 meeting

    The chair said November 18 is the board's only meeting that month and will carry a cash analysis, the employee retirement plan and a cost-of-living option costing about 1% more as employer, the bandstand, foreclosures and wage tables, with foreclosures the priority and other items to be tabled if the meeting runs late. He noted the November 4 election with a municipal select board seat contested, about 400 absentee ballot requests, and early voting ending Thursday. Board member reports followed.

18. 1:29:50
    Upcoming meetings and adjournment

    Upcoming dates were read out, including election day November 4 with polls open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., committee and planning board meetings on November 5, solid waste on November 10, the town office closed and no select board meeting on Veterans Day, and an extra planning board meeting on the land use ordinance on November 12. No executive session was held.

What was decided

• 0:11
  Motion to amend the agenda to move the snowmobile club funding request from third in new business to first. The chair called for the vote at t=314 and said 'seeing none' to opposition, but the transcript does not record the result being announced; the item was then taken first.outcome unclear
• 5:14
  Motion by Deb, seconded by Josh, to approve the minutes of the last meeting. The chair said it passes unanimously.passed
• 20:53
  Motion, made and seconded, to give the snowmobile club $1,500 from the recreation reserve. The chair called the vote at t=1560 and said 'seeing none' to opposition, but the transcript does not record the result being stated.outcome unclear
• 1:24:30
  Motion to approve the consent agenda, made and seconded. The chair said it passes unanimously.passed
• 1:29:50
  Motion to adjourn, given as about 7:55. The recording ends while the vote is being called.outcome unclear

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

• 5:14
  The Durham Historical Society wants to take ownership of War Memorial Park and repair the existing bandstand, using town funds already allocated. Tia Wilson (?) said the town voted in April to let the select board explore refurbishing or replacing it at a cost not to exceed $30,000 from the municipal building reserve, and that quotes have been obtained for a new gazebo.
• 26:00
  The open space plan is funded by an $80,000 state grant with no local match and about 24 months to complete. About 3% of land in Durham was conserved in 2025; the state climate action plan target is 30% by 2030.
• 1:13:57
  The Freeport Wood Bank dropped off wood cubes at public works that residents can pick up free, with no application and no income test.
• 1:24:30
  November 18 is the board's only meeting that month, carrying foreclosures, a cash analysis, the employee retirement plan, wage tables and the bandstand. The chair said items may be tabled if the meeting runs long, with foreclosures the priority.

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: 2 passages of motion language, against 5 decisions summarised.

Elsewhere

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