South Bristol Select Board members Bruce Farrin Jr. (left) and Chester Rice review documents on Thursday, March 9, Rice’s final meeting after 26 years on the board. Rice did not seek reelection this year. (Elizabeth Walztoni photo)
An alleged incident at the South Bristol town office in early January will now be investigated by an attorney following the withdrawal of a consultant hired to create a report and recommend policies.
Don Gerrish, of the Bangor consulting firm Eaton Peabody, has withdrawn from his contract and recommended the services of an attorney at his firm, according to a letter read at the South Bristol Select Board meeting on Thursday, March 9.
The board accepted Gerrish’s services on March 1 to investigate and create a report on the alleged incident between then-tax collector Rob Lincoln and current town clerk Brenda Bartlett. The alleged incident led to the resignation of Lincoln’s brothers, select board member Ken Lincoln and animal control officer Todd Lincoln, before his own later that month.
“This is way more than a consultant can take care of,” Ken Lincoln said from the audience on Thursday after Gerrish’s withdrawal was announced.
A second part of Gerrish’s contract would have provided assistance putting policies and procedures in place for any future incidents, along with setting up meeting recordings.
In the letter, Gerrish said he conducted his first interview with an involved party and determined “the town would be better serviced with an experienced attorney.”
“Everything we tried to do went out the door,” Bruce Farrin Jr. said after reading the letter aloud.
Gerrish said he would still be interested in helping the town implement policies and procedures, and begin recordings. Farrin said he is open to these services, but a contract has not been presented.
Ken Lincoln asked if meetings were being recorded yet, and the board said they were not. An audience member recorded the remainder of the meeting on his cellphone.
Sarah Newell, the attorney Gerrish recommended to take over the investigation, specializes in employment law.
“She’s done this before. Hopefully we can get something done,” Farrin said about Newell.
“That’s progress,” Ken Lincoln said.
Newell offered South Bristol a reduced rate of $250 per hour from her standard $310.
The money will come from the town’s $25,000 legal expense fund, with another $10,000 available in the contingency fund. If fees go beyond $35,000, a special town meeting would be held to approve additional funding, according to select board Chair Chester Rice.
Audience members also questioned who would enforce the new code of conduct and ethics policy, which requires all town officials and employees to sign a statement upholding the code and complete at least an hour of sensitivity training each year.
According to Farrin, the select board enforces the policy. The board will have two new members, Adam Rice and Robert Clifford, at next week’s meeting following annual town meeting.
Ken Lincoln’s seat on the board was open and longtime member Rice did not run for reelection.
Ralph Norwood III asked from the audience whether the policy also applied to the fire department. Rice said the policy would not, unless the chief chose to adopt it.
Rice said the policy will be available in the future on a new town website currently in development. Audience members suggested it could be uploaded to the existing website until then.
In other business, the town may contract with a new company for a roof replacement at the South Bristol School. All Seasons Roofing, initially selected by the town, cannot complete the roof this summer, according to school committee Chair Sara Mitchell.
The town meeting warrant article specifies up to $100,000 be spent for the replacement, but did not specify a contractor.
Rice said the work will be paid for from the town’s Anne Wilder Stratton Fund.
The South Bristol Select Board will next meet at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 16 in the town office.
