DIXFIELD — Police Chief Richard Pickett said at Monday’s Board of Selectmen meeting that residents should stay in their homes during Tuesday’s blizzard and avoid traveling unless there is an emergency.
“It’s the whiteout conditions that are going to cause the biggest problem for people,” Pickett said. “We’re suggesting that everybody avoid getting on the road unless absolutely necessary.”
Pickett said Town Manager Carlo Puiia should consider closing the Town Office to prevent people from making unnecessary trips outdoors.
In other business, Puiia suggested to selectmen that they appoint Lt. Jeff Howe as interim police chief until the town’s Search Committee finishes its work and a chief is named to succeed Pickett, who is retiring Friday, Jan. 30.
“You could appoint the lieutenant for a 30-day period and, hopefully, in that time, the committee will have found someone to hire,” Puiia said. “Another thing to remember is that if we hire somebody and they have to give notice to their previous job, we may need to extend the interim position by another 30 days.”
Board of Selectmen Chairman Scott Belskis asked if the Maine Chiefs of Police Association could provide an interim chief.
“Yes, but you will end up paying for it,” Puiia said.
“That’s OK,” Belskis said. “We already have money put aside for the chief’s position.”
Pickett said, “I think my lieutenant is certainly capable of filling the position. I know he’s a hard worker, and he’d do a very credible job if you hired him as interim police chief.”
Selectman Dana Whittemore said he liked the fact that Howe knows the town already.
Puiia said if Pickett were to go on medical leave, Howe would become the interim police chief anyway.
Selectman Hart Daley asked Pickett if the Police Department was going to hire someone to replace Howe if he were appointed interim police chief, or if they would pay out of the overtime budget.
Pickett said the department had its eye on someone to fill in as a patrolman until a new chief was hired.
Following a brief discussion, the selectmen took no action on the issue.
Later in the meeting, selectmen unanimously voted to place the draft of the Recall of Elected Officials ordinance on the June 10 referendum warrant.
At a board meeting Aug. 25, 2014, selectmen reviewed drafts of recall ordinances from several Maine towns, including Mexico, Peru and Rumford, and agreed to review them to decide what would work best for the town.
At a meeting Jan. 12, minor amendments were made, including changing the requirement for signatures on a recall petition from 20 percent of the number of votes cast in the last gubernatorial election, to 15 percent.
Selectman Mac Gill said that would require petitioners to get approximately 56 fewer signatures.
The vote to place the final draft of the ordinance on the town warrant was tabled Jan. 12 because a member of the board was absent.
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