LISBON — Diane Barnes was appointed town manager and tax collector by the Town Council on Tuesday night. She will begin her duties June 30.
Barnes signed a three-year contract with an annual salary of $83,000.
She succeeds Steve Eldridge, whose contract was not renewed in January.
Former Freeport Town Manager Dale Olmstead has been interim manager since February, working three days a week for $500 per day.
Barnes is city manager and human resource director in Calais, positions she has held since July 2007. She has also served as the city’s tax collector since 2009 and has experience in union negotiations, budget preparation, economic development projects and writing grants.
She is chairwoman of the Maine Municipal Association’s Health Trust and a trustee at Calais Regional Hospital.
Before coming to Calais, Barnes filled several positions in the town of Skowhegan from 1986 to 2007.
She is a 1981 graduate of Skowhegan Area High School and completed the Municipal Leadership Program at the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service.
Tuesday night’s meeting was led by Vice Chairman Dillon Pesce, because Chairwoman Lisa Ward was unable to attend.
The meeting lasted 30 minutes, with the majority of discussion centered on a proposal to extend Unitil’s natural gas line.
Pesce sided with Councilor Chris Brunelle in voting against spending $1,850, plus a contribution of town labor, to extend a natural gas line from Route 196 along School Street, Berry Avenue and Campus Avenue.
Councilors in favor of the town’s participation included Roger Bickford, Eric Metivier, Mark Lunt and Gregg Garrison.
Town Engineer Ryan Leighton said the town and the Brunswick Housing Authority will benefit by the line extension.
Leighton said heating the town’s MTM Community Center on School Street with natural gas instead of oil will save as much as 30 to 35 percent on the annual heating bill, and switching the Brunswick Housing Authority’s elderly housing facility from oil to natural gas will also save that agency money, he said.
Pesce asked if Unitil has any residential customers on the three streets.
Leighton said he thinks there are a couple. “The good thing about it is it will give other people the opportunity to tie in,” he said.
Asked if there is a signed contract that guarantees the Housing Authority will pay, Ryan said no, but he has an email saying its board approved the expenditure.
Larry Fillmore questioned whether the Housing Authority should be contributing more, since Lisbon is paying the $1,850, plus using public works employees for preparation and paving after Unitil installs the line.
Leighton said the town’s contribution of labor will be more than offset by the money the town will save on heating costs at the MTM Community Center in future years.
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