Three are appointed to Sumner Planning Board

SUMNER — The Sumner Planning Board is now a complete, functioning board, reported selectmen at their meeting Tuesday, after appointing two full-time members and an alternate. 

Before its regular meeting, selectmen moved into executive session at 5:32 p.m. to discuss the appointments and interview applicants.

The session closed at 6:55 p.m., five minutes before the board meeting began. 

During their meeting, selectmen appointed former selectman Dan Perron as a full-time member until 2014 and Ricky Beaudet as a full-time member until 2015. Richard Estes will serve as an alternate for the next year. 

The appointees join James Gammon, whose term expires in 2015; Jeff Pfeifer, 2013, James Durfee, 2014 and alternate Steve Peters, whose term expires next year. 

Chairwoman Mary Ann Haxton said the appointees will be notified and are required to be sworn in at the town office. Selectmen said that anyone serving on a town committee must be appointed and sworn in by a town official before beginning their duties. 

In addition, Mary Ann Todd will be reappointed to the town's recently formed Neighbors Care Committee. The town is seeking more members to join the new committee, as all the appointments to the EMA Committee have expired, selectmen said. 

The Neighbors Care Committee replaces the town's former EMA Committee. The idea came about during the town's first Community Forum Supper that took place at A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm on Monday. 

Haxton said 12 people attended the forum.

"We enjoyed good home cooked food and most of our focus was around the name for the committee," she explained, "and what kinds of things that committee would work on, priorities and looking for additional members."  

"One of the major things we talked about was getting a [town] newsletter going," said Haxton. 

The forum also discussed organizational needs, community programs such as donating to the food bank or working in the community garden, CPR/first-aid training classes and the overall goals of the town for the next 10-20 years. 

Selectmen tentatively scheduled the next Community Forum for February 25, 2013 at the East Sumner Congregational Church. The time is to be determined.

In other news, the board: 

• Reported that it has received four GETS (Government Emergency Telecommunications Service) calling cards, which are used in an emergency or crisis situation when normal telephone services are congested. 

• Reported that it has purchased a digital voice recorder for $49 to be used by  town boards to record meetings. Selectmen will establish a policy that governs who can use the recorder, when it will be used and how it will be used. 

• Heard from Administrative Assistant Cynthia Norton that legislation on tree growth applications has changed drastically – she said towns will be required to  notify residents via certified mail that they have a 10-year tree growth plan due and have 60 days to get re-certified. Failure to comply results in a $100 fine, she said.