| Joanne Cole |
It wasn’t the evening’s most important topic, but the bid documents for painting the building exteriors at the Town Hall Complex provided moments of unexpected interest at the Select Board’s July 17 meeting. Viewers and folks in the Meetinghouse learned that “New Gloucester Yellow” really is a color and that there’s more than one New Gloucester Yellow out there.
Voters at Town Meeting in May approved $95,000 for the paint/stain project, which includes the Library, Meetinghouse and Town Hall. Now Public Works Director Ted Shane and the board were pushing the project along with draft bid documents. Among questions: why the Town would supply the project paint and stain to the successful bidder; typically the contractor takes care of that. To ensure quality and maximize chances of matching the shade of the History Barn, Shane explained. “I don’t want a contractor to show up with what they think is New Gloucester Yellow.”
Bidders will be required to visit the Town Hall Complex to scope out the work and, perhaps in particular, to understand the challenge of a project that’s in a historic district and “needs to be done right,” said Shane.
Fire Rescue command vehicle specs approved. Voters approved $60,000 for a Fire Rescue command vehicle at May Town Meeting. During public comment at this meeting, former board member Peter Bragdon had questioned the proposed specs for the vehicle, and specifically whether prices would come in under budget. Among other points, he urged considering a used vehicle or new chassis-only instead of wholly new vehicle.
Newly appointed Fire Rescue Chief Craig Bouchard told the board he stood behind the bid package “one thousand percent” and that the RFP allows flexibility for bidders. He cautioned that delays could result in higher costs as happened with the ambulance purchase when the board repeatedly reworked the bid documents. Bouchard explained that such vehicles are built only at certain times and the supply is limited.
On a 5-0 vote, the board approved the RFP. They also approved 3-2 (Larrivee, Hathorne) a separate $4,505 purchase of radios for the command vehicle.
Board dissolves the Public Safety Committee. At their last meeting, the board discussed dissolving the Public Safety Committee and replacing it with an ‘in-house’ advisory group of town staff. But the board held off taking that step. Dissolution wasn’t on that agenda and it was unclear whether the committee had been notified. This time the board went ahead.
At previous meetings, board members Stephen Hathorne and Tammy Donovan had questioned the Public Safety Committee’s actions, in effect characterizing the committee as having gone rogue. During public comment at this July 17 meeting, Chair Nick Planson responded. He called the committee’s work “a valuable asset to this town” and referred to a memo he’d sent the board detailing the committee’s activities and correcting what he said were misunderstandings voiced at the last board meeting.
Planson said there’s a role for volunteers, given the many complicated safety issues that need research and public input and in light of how busy town staff and Select Board members are. Whatever the board might decide, he hoped the board would “include the public” in any public safety group going forward, to be aware of what’s going on in different areas of town and asked that the board be respectful of members of town committees, all of whom are volunteers.
On a 4-1 vote (Larrivee), the board dissolved the committee, effective immediately. The board didn’t then create or define the new advisory group but instead directed Manager Bill Kerbin to determine who from town staff should participate. (The charge of the Public Safety Committee included as full members the Public Works Director and Fire Rescue Chief, but over the years they seldom attended.)
Tammy Donovan suggested having a couple of liaison seats for the public, similar to Select Board member liaisons to committees. Dustin Ward suggested “at least three seats or however many you want” so that the public has “a voice at the table.” The board didn’t immediately settle on numbers or define roles but will revisit the topic with Kerbin’s recommendations at their August 7 meeting.
Charter Q & A to now be August 21 board workshop. The board’s July 17 meeting was to have followed a special public Q & A session on the Town’s new charter. The charter took effect July 1 and changes the landscape of town governance in a host of ways large and small. The Q & A was planned for residents to share their Charter questions, along with members of the board and the Charter Commission, in an informal public session that would simultaneously be broadcast and streamed.
That Q & A session was cancelled just hours before it was set to start on Monday, apparently because it had inadvertently been labeled a “meeting” on the town calendar. “Meetings” of the Select Board require notice and an agenda in advance. As any error was inadvertent and the gathering wouldn’t have been an actual board meeting, it’s not entirely clear why the session was scrubbed.
But scrubbed it was, and the board moved on to what to do now. They settled on holding a board workshop before their August 21 meeting. Comment from the public is not permitted at “workshops.” Residents will be able to email questions in advance to the manager, the board confirmed, although those messages would not be read aloud. There will not be overview presentations on the charter; instead the focus will be on the board’s questions. Former Commission members will, however, be permitted to speak at the workshop, the board agreed, although the public will not.
Land Management Planning Committee expanded to nine at-large members. Due to uncertainty over whether a Planning Board member was serving as Planning Board representative or instead had an at-large seat on the Land Management Planning Committee, an eighth at-large member was appointed to the LMPC in June. The committee’s charge calls for seven at-large members.
Discussing the matter, the board was uncertain whether the separate seat for a Planning Board representative is voting or non-voting. Foreseeing possible deadlocks and choosing between adding another at-large member or specifying that the Planning Board representative can vote, they chose to add another seat. As a result, the number of at-large seats is now nine.
Carlos Velazquez appointed Animal Control Officer. Carlos Velazquez, who goes by Rob, was appointed Animal Control Officer, an essential role that has proven difficult to fill in recent years. Velazquez told the board that he loves his town, saw a need and stepped up. Board members expressed gratitude to Velazquez, who will now get equipped, undergo training and “dive in,” he said. The position had been vacant since June.
Maine Waste to Energy to present at August 7 board workshop. John King of Maine Waste to Energy will be a guest presenter at a board workshop on August 7 at 6 p.m. Maine Waste to Energy, formerly known as MMWAC, is the Auburn facility that incinerates waste from New Gloucester and other area communities and generates electricity.
King’s appearance arises from the Environmental Resources Committee’s ongoing research into the town’s current waste practices and recycling options and alternatives. ERC chair Lauren Jordan was in the Meetinghouse to ask that ERC members be permitted to ask questions and participate. They will, the board decided.
1036 Lewiston Road, Upper Village plans. Wanting to “move the chains,” as Chair Paul Larrivee put it with a sports metaphor, the board directed Manager Bill Kerbin to work with new Town Planner Kathy Tombarelli to get her caught up about the Town’s property at 1036 Lewiston Road in the Upper Village. The former site of the Public Works garage is part of the Upper Village Master Plan approved by voters in 2015. It envisioned an attractive, mixed-use walkable area with calmer traffic: https://ngxchange.org/new-appointments-new-upper-village-planning-new-conservation-project-requests-for-new-committees/
But plans went dormant for a period of years. Since then, the Upper Village and real estate development have changed, and progress on a re-boot has been hampered by turnover in town staff and the board.
At this meeting, board members touched on some of the issues and challenges: the possibility of a land swap to gain frontage on Route 100; budgets; a possible water tower on the site and what, if anything, to do about the old Public Works sand and salt building. It is sited on a different parcel but likely to affect development prospects and interest. Planner Tombarelli will review the existing Upper Village plan and vision, along with more-recent preliminary work – a boundary survey and wetlands delineation – and bring back recommendations.
Board and committee resignations and appointment process. The board accepted with regret resignations from the Economic Development Committee and Public Safety Committee by residents Karen Gilles and Brian Shedlarski, submitted in protest at how the Select Board carried out its appointments in June. Each will continue on other committees.
For committees with more applicants than open seats, the board has taken into account whether applicants were already serving on other committees. In June, the effect in one instance–but not another–was to not reappoint an incumbent serving on multiple committees, Shedlarski, in favor of an applicant with no committees, Julie Fralich.
In separate resignation letters, Shedlarski and Gilles said the board was changing the rules mid-stream and not valuing those who had worked hard and invested time in serving or had stepped up for multiple committees in order to help them to meet quorum and function.
At this meeting, the board concluded that they had followed the criteria in the current committee application, but there was also consensus that the appointment process and criteria need work. The board is adjusting to an evolving situation, Chair Paul Larrivee said, with the recent spike in interest in committee service, not seen in the past. New member Colleen Strickler recalled uncertainty surrounding her own application to the Library Board of Trustees, including whether she needed to appear in person at the board to be appointed. Strickler said the board needs to develop a clear process, get it out there, and follow it as a board. The others agreed.
A year ago, the board began revising and clarifying the appointment process, criteria and application, following two years of controversy over the issue. They will resume that effort at a workshop on Monday, July 24, at 6 pm in the Meetinghouse. The workshop is not currently slated to be televised or streamed online.
Manager update. In his update, Manager Bill Kerbin announced that paving would soon start up, weather permitting, including on long-awaited Morse Road. On new positions and hires, an offer would be going out soon for a Buildings & Grounds staff member; the new Assistant Rec Director job description is in the works but not yet ready.
The new Town administrative code required by the Charter that would compile, organize and index all town ordinances and policies online will be done in-house, Kerbin said, instead of contracted out to a specialty firm. No funds were budgeted for the administrative code project, and Kerbin had received a $12,000 quote from Municode to do the work. See an example of a searchable administrative code prepared by Municode for the Town of Eliot at this link.
To watch video of the July 17, 2023, Select Board meeting, click here. Find Select Board agendas and related documents at this link.
