During a Wiscasset Board of Selectmen meeting Monday night, all articles on the annual town warrant passed board approval for town meeting, but not without a little disagreement. There will be a public hearing for the warrant on Tues., May 4 at Wiscasset Middle School.
Wiscasset selectmen decided not to add $2000 recommended by Interim Town Manager Don Gerrish to the Waterfront and Harbors account. However, they did add the list of community organizations to the warrant for voter approval.
Nomination papers for town officers were due at the town office Monday night and there are a number of candidates. Five people have applied for the three open seats on the board of selectmen and two other residents vie for the one position for road commissioner.
Selectmen parted ways on the police department funding ($331,510), municipal planning and code enforcement ($133,828) and the amount to raise and appropriate for shellfish conservation ($9581).
Residents and selectmen spoke on behalf of and against various community organizations at the April 26 meeting. Selectmen debated whether the organizations should be listed and voted on separately or altogether.
Glen Rainsley, development director from New Hope For Women, addressed the board at the start of the meeting. He appealed board members to reconsider not putting organizations on the town warrant and to support non-profits.
“I would love to report to everybody in Wiscasset there is no domestic violence or any violence in Wiscasset,” Rainsley said. “But last year we spent one and a half weeks (60 hours) of staff time with residents of Wiscasset on emergency services.”
Rainsley said his organization has worked to provide information on domestic violence by donating books to the library and by offering classes at the middle school. He said it is important for municipalities to support organizations that serve their communities.
He said his organization was asking for less than 10 percent of what was being asked to fund the town’s July 4 celebration and he believes the service would lower the town’s emergency service costs.
Referencing some $13,000 for community organizations, resident Cliff Hendricks argued against funding two nonprofit groups: Mobius and Sweetser.
“No doubt these people do a good job,” Hendricks said, asking selectmen if they were aware of how much organization directors earned.
Hendricks said the president of Sweetser earned $231,000 in 2008, while executive salaries for five other organizations exceeded $100,000 annually. The director of Mobius earned, “almost $82,000,” he said. The organization’s 2008 annual report states a revenue exceeding $49 million with a client listing over 16,000 and 1089 clients in Lincoln County.
“I have a problem with giving money to organizations that hold themselves out to be nonprofit organizations,” he said, “And reward their executives with six digit figures.”
Concerned about rising costs for education, the police department and road maintenance, Hendricks suggested the organizations be at least separated out so voters could decide whether or not to approve funding one from another.
Rainsley wanted the board and all present to know he made $36,000 last year and his organization utilizes much of its support from volunteers.
Residents will hear a reading of the warrant on Tues., May 4 at 6 p.m. at the Wiscasset Middle School. According to town office clerk Chris Wolfe, residents will be able to ask questions related to the warrant, but will not be able to modify it.
David Sutter will run against incumbent Gregory Griffin for the one-year position as road commissioner. Dean Shea and Robert MacDonald Jr. are running for the two open positions on the Water District Board of Trustees.
Constance Schumann is running for the two-year term on the budget committee and Eugene Stover is running again for the one open, three-year seat on the Sheepscot Valley RSU 12 School Board.
In other news, Interim Town Manager Don Gerrish reported to selectmen the town office originally received 29 applications for the position of town manager. The board and Town Manager Search Committee has reviewed 12 of the applications and narrowed their choices down to six. They will conduct interviews on the remaining six candidates on April 28 and 30.
