Selectmen’s Meeting, July 26, 2012

TOWN OF SEDGWICK

SELECTMEN’S MEETING

July 26, 2012

 

Selectmen present:  Neil Davis, Colby Pert

 

Also present:  Nelson Grindal, Charlie Wiggins, American reporter Jennifer Osborn, Tax Collector Belinda Pert, Treasurer Cindy Reilly, Assistant Barbara Grindle, CEO Duane Ford

 

1)         Minutes of the last meeting read and accepted.

 

2)         Signed Treasurer’s warrant for $60,433.42 of which $54898.36 was for education.

 

3)         The Public Access Committee met on Friday the 20th to discuss work to be done on the accesses owned by the town.  We need to maintain the path at the Camp Stream access, work on the recreational access at Rope Ferry.  A survey of the Camp Stream access might need to be done because the property beside it is for sale again.  Salt Pond needs to be finalized and access to the shore needs to be assessed at the Silvermine accesses.

 

4)         Assessing agent Caldwell visited the Patten property and the selectmen are waiting for his report.

 

5)         The people that purchased the property at the corner of North Cross Road have started work on the road, and needed information on placing of power poles.  They were reminded that even though it is a town road, any liability issues on North Cross Road were their responsibility.  The road is lined on both sides by rock walls, so their pole request was to put the poles as close to the walls as possible without disturbing the walls.  The road is 3 rods wide (49.5 feet), as are most of the town roads.

 

6)         The bridge on the Walker Pond Access has been finished.  There are just a few details left to be taken care of on the roadway.

 

7)         The permit-by-rule for the bridge to the swimming area has been received.

 

8)         Motion made and voted on 2-0 for a letter be attached to the minutes, with copies to the newspapers, board chairmen, and town attorney Patterson.  The letter is attached.

 

9)         Entered executive session with CEO Ford to discuss legal issues.

 

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:25 pm.

 

                        Barbara Grindle, Assistant to the Selectmen

 

There have been many statements over the previous few months by officials and others concerning the town attorney’s relationship with Mr. Bob Cote.

We, the selectmen of the Town of Sedgwick, would like to take time at this moment to enter the following into the official minutes:

            The selectmen want to say to any citizen of Sedgwick, and especially to our attorney, James Patterson, that we find his duties for the Town of Sedgwick have been conducted in an exemplary manner and do not consider that he has ever shown any sign of misconduct or unethical behavior while working for the Town of Sedgwick.  To the best of our knowledge, Mr. Patterson has won every case he has ever litigated for us over the past many years.  He has in the past recused himself from our employ because of possible conflict of interest in order to avoid unethical situations.

            We, the selectmen of the Town of Sedgwick wish to inform Mr. Patterson, the officials of the Town of Sedgwick and its citizens, that we feel Mr. Patterson has never put himself in an unethical situation while in our employ, and we look forward to working with him in the future.  We would also like to say if any officials of the Town of Sedgwick should say anything to the contrary that they speak entirely for themselves and not for the Town of Sedgwick in this matter.  We urge anyone who has proof of wrongdoing by Mr. Patterson to present it to the Maine Bar Association, and let them handle it, but otherwise leave the innuendo and gossipmongering at home.

 

                        Neil Davis        7/26/2012

                        Colby Pert        7/26/2012