Planning board members to meet with selectmen

BUCKFIELD — Three planning board members, including the board chairwoman, who resigned en masse after the annual town meeting four weeks ago, have agreed to join the selectmen at the July 17 meeting to discuss their resignations and clear the air between the two boards.

Chairwoman Stacy Scotia, James Parker and Perley Lovejoy submitted their resignations after a Small Wind Energy Ordinance the planning board had drafted was voted down at the June 16 town meeting.

In their resignation letters, planning board members expressed frustration with the board of selectmen, claiming that they had been led to believe the selectmen supported the ordinance.

The three planning board members were surprised and disappointed at the unanimous opposition to the ordinance the selectmen expressed at town meeting.

Town Manager Dana Lee told the selectboard at its July 3 meeting that he had received confirmation that Lovejoy and Parker would attend the meeting on July 17.

Lee told the board he had not heard back from Scotia, but would try to connect with her during the week. 

Reached on Tuesday morning, Lee reported that Scotia was now planning to attend the meeting.

In other news the board:

• Voted Robin Buswell as Chairman of the Board and Rodney Allen as Vice-Chair.

• Approved the revised and amended Recreation Committee by-laws. An amendment allows residents of Hartford and Sumner to serve on the committee.

• Agreed to use the Town Manager evaluation form presented to the board by Town Manager Dana Lee.

• Approved the purchase of a zero-turn mower from Frichette's Sales and Service in Buckfield. The mower cost $5,600 – $400 below what the town budgeted.

• Appointed Cindy Dunn as the Town Tax Collector, Robert Larrabee as Animal Control Officer, Thomas M. Verrill as Sealer of Weights and Measures and Tom Standard as Civil Emergency Preparedness Administrator.

• Appointed Cindy Dunn, Lucille Allen and Barbara Wright to the Social Services Committee.