DIXFIELD — The Board of Selectmen discussed the new draft language of the town’s complaints policy Monday evening.
Town Manager Carlo Puiia said there have been complaints from residents recently that they have not received a response to previous complaints submitted months earlier.
“With this new policy, there’s some changes in there to provide assurances to the public that they will be communicated to if they submit a complaint to the town,” Puiia said.
Chairman Scott Belskis told the board, “You guys should take this home and take a look at it to see if there’s anything that may need to be changed or if it’s something you wish to implement.”
In other business, the board discussed a potential conflict of interest in hiring Rumford lawyer Jennifer Kreckel of Kreckel Law as the new town attorney.
The board voted 3-1 on July 14 to approve Kreckel, who replaces Matthew Tarasevich of Bernstein Shur in Portland.
Before the vote, Belskis told selectmen he was currently a client of Kreckel’s for a matter unrelated to town business, and that it would not interfere with the town hiring Kreckel.
Selectman Mac Gill said he thought if the town had any legal issues related to Belskis, it would “put the town in jeopardy.
“She wouldn’t be able to represent us, and she wouldn’t be able to represent you,” Gill said.
Belskis said, “The issue that she’s working on for me will be done within the next three weeks, so we’re not going to have to worry about anything.”
He later added that Kreckel is only dealing with “small legal items” within the town, and that Tarasevich is still the town’s lawyer for certain issues.
“If we needed to, we could turn to him,” Belskis said.
“I have no problem with hiring Jennifer at all, but I still do think there’s an issue at hand that needs to be dealt with,” Gill said.
“And it will be dealt with,” Belskis said. “The case should be wrapped up by the first of the month.”
mdaigle@sunjournal.com
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