| Joanne Cole |
The Select Board concluded an eventful year with a double-header, as their December 20 meeting followed a budget presentation by Town Manager Christine Landes. At their final meeting of 2021, the board welcomed the new director of the library, heard presentations for two proposed committees, considered spending pandemic recovery funds, pared back departments’ capital requests, and discussed elements of a Covid policy, among other matters.
Library Director Jay Campbell. Newly appointed Library Director Jay Campbell introduced himself to the board and community, touching on his library positions at Simmons University in Boston, the town of Milford, Mass., and Boston Public Library. Campbell described New Gloucester’s library as “a real treasure” and “centerpiece of the community” and said he would do his best to provide the town “the excellent service, collections, and programming it deserves.” He thanked Assistant Librarian Emily Martin for orienting him and praised her hard work and dedication in “flying solo.” Martin ran the library single-handed after director Lee Shaw departed in October.
Library Memorandum of Understanding approved. The board unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding that clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the Trustees and the Friends of the Library, previously managed informally. Member Dustin Ward, board liaison to the library, had met at length with the groups to revise and wrap up the MOU. New Library Director Jay Campbell thanked Ward and said that, with the MOU finalized, he looks forward to “turning the page to a new chapter” and to working collaboratively with the Trustees, Friends, and the Town to support the library and its users. With board members’ signatures, the terms of the MOU took effect immediately.
Ad Hoc Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Resident Cameron Dufty returned with details about a proposed ad hoc committee on diversity, equity and inclusion. Dufty said that such committees promote a welcoming, safe, inclusive community for all residents and typically assist governing boards and town committees in developing ordinances and policies and making decisions with principles of inclusion and equity in mind. At their core, DEI committees aim to creating “a culture of unity, understanding, and learning for everyone in the town,” she said.
Dufty noted related initiatives in other Maine towns, but focused on opportunities and goals in New Gloucester. As indicators of strong community interest, she cited an antiracism and social justice book group at capacity membership at the library, the active New Gloucester United Against Racism group, a recent well-attended talk on “Black History of Maine,” ongoing monthly rallies, and DEI trainings. An ad hoc DEI committee would advance core goals in the new Comprehensive Plan and meet the moment as a town charter is being developed for residents to consider. Dufty said more than 50 residents signed on in support of creating the DEI committee.
Vice-chair Paul Larrivee hoped such a committee would address needs of lower-income residents. He also wondered whether a year would be long enough, given the likely learning curve for committee members. The board took no immediate action but has since put both the request for a DEI committee and for an Age-Friendly/Livable Community Committee (see below) on its January 3 agenda.
Request for an ad hoc Age-Friendly/Livable Community Committee. Resident Julie Fralich returned to urge the board to establish an ad hoc age-friendly/livable community committee. The proposed committee would further goals set in the Comprehensive Plan to create a “community that is healthy, active and a safe place to live, work, play, and age throughout the lifespan.“ Fralich said age-friendly communities have been shown to benefit economic development and to improve the health and well-being of residents. Nearly 60 residents had signed on to support creating an age-friendly/livable community committee.
Understandably, Fralich said, livable community initiatives often focus on helping seniors remain in the community. In New Gloucester, data from the Comprehensive Plan process show that the town’s age 55-and-up cohort rose 94 percent between 2000 and 2018, she said. Meeting needs of younger residents and families is also key, however. “What works for older adults works for people of all ages,” said Fralich.
Fralich emphasized that a New Gloucester committee need not re-invent the wheel, go it alone, or wait years to see results. Maine has an age-friendly state plan and robust resources for interested towns, including grants, AARP-funded professional consultants, and a network of more than 100 participating Maine towns to tap into. A typical process begins with assessing assets, needs, and priorities, often yielding ideas that can be done right away, like compiling a resource guide for residents, Fralich said.
Summing up, Fralich said the proposed Livable Community and DEI committees “go to the core of the vision for the community” in the Comprehensive Plan and represent steps to start putting the plan into practice. The board will formally consider the requests as action items at their January 3 meeting.
ARPA funds will buy Fire Rescue cardio monitor/defibrillator. The board approved using American Rescue Plan Act funds (ARPA) to purchase a cardio monitor/defibrillator for Fire Rescue. Interim Chief Craig Bouchard had previously proposed buying a lesser Lifepak model, but the board directed him to investigate the top of the line, provided ARPA funds could be used. Bouchard returned with a $44,000 quote for “the latest and greatest model,” as he put it, a unit that includes pediatric capability, among other features.
With Town Manager Christine Landes confirming that ARPA funds could be used, the board approved the purchase 4-1. Chair Peter Bragdon opposed the request on the grounds that, under town policy, the Capital Improvement Program Committee (CIP) should first review the request. Other members deemed the purchase urgent, with rescue calls up and the town’s sole Lifepak unit tied to the ambulance, which can be out on a call for three hours or away providing mutual aid in another community.
Library mold remediation: Insurance, maybe; ARPA, nope. The town’s property insurance may yet help cover costs of remediating mold in the library basement; an adjuster is on the case, said manager Landes. ARPA funding is not an option, Landes said, given the limited connection between the pandemic and the mold problem.
Grant for ballistic vests for Fire Rescue approved. A request to accept $7978 in Homeland Security grant funds to purchase nine bulletproof vests for Fire Rescue personnel passed with the proviso that a policy and guidelines be developed before the vests’ use. Fire Rescue had applied for the grant earlier this year.
Without divulging operational details, Interim Chief Bouchard sketched the risks that warrant first responders’ donning steel plates front and back. Vice chair Larrivee expressed concern that Fire Rescue personnel might be mistaken as “tactical” and become targets. Steve Hathorne didn’t want them in harm’s way at all instead of awaiting a police presence. In the end, the vote went 3-1-1 to accept the funds for the vests, with Steve Hathorne opposed and Peter Bragdon abstaining.
Capital requests considered and tossed. With budget season upon them, the board reviewed departments’ preliminary capital requests, eliminating several items and re-prioritizing others. A new ambulance ($350,000) emerged as the top item for Fire Rescue, but the department’s requests for a command vehicle ($53,000) and utility vehicle ($22,000) were eliminated. The board also knocked out a loader sought by Public Works ($160,000), among other adjustments. The amended list goes next to the CIP Committee, which develops a master capital priority list across all departments.
Terms of possible Covid policy. With Covid resurgent, the board discussed what to include in a Covid policy to be drafted by manager Landes. Member Dustin Ward wanted specifics about quarantine timelines and how employees would be cleared to return to work. Regarding leave for town employees, the board noted the challenge of determining how and where an employee contracted Covid. They settled on capping paid leave for Covid at ten days, in part in order to show concern for employees’ well-being.
When it came to mask policy, risks to and among employees weren’t discussed; individuals’ personal choice to mask up or not was the focus. The board rejected requiring masks unless mandated under a state of emergency, and they appeared reluctant to post signs encouraging mask-wearing in town buildings. Landes will take the comments under advisement and return with a draft.
Covid and flu vaccine clinic. The board approved a walk-in Covid and flu vaccine clinic to be held on Friday, January 7, from 2 to 5 pm at the Fire Station. The clinic, which will include Covid boosters, will be held in coordination with Maine CDC and the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce and involve no cost to the town. Chair Peter Bragdon noted that organizers of a similar clinic in Casco expected 60 takers and got more than 200.
To view the video of the December 20 Select Board meeting, click here. For meeting agendas and supporting documents, click here.
