Buckfield Board of Selectmen
March 7, 2017
Buckfield Municipal Building
Town manager resigns
What happened: Town Manager Cindy Dunn surprised selectmen by handing them a resignation letter effective Friday, June 30, when her contract ends.
What it means: Selectmen accepted Dunn’s resignation with regret as town manager, road commissioner, General Assistance director, code enforcement officer, civil emergency preparedness director, health officer and public access officer. She will stay on as town clerk, tax collector, excise tax collector, bookkeeper, payroll clerk, registrar of voters, assessors’ assistant, motor vehicle registration agent, watercraft/ATV/snowmobile registration agent, Inland Fisheries and Wildlife licensing agent and deputy E911 addressing officer. Board Chairman Warren Wright and Selectman Maida DeMers-Dobson thanked Dunn for her years of service for the town. She has served in all of the positions since 2014.
What’s next: Selectmen need to decide the parameters of the next town manager’s position and advertise for the job.
Policies review
What happened: Selectmen approved sending the town’s Personnel Policy & Procedures Handbook to Maine Municipal Association for a review.
What it means: At their last meeting, selectmen voted 2-1 to send the policy to MMA for review for a fee not to exceed $100. When Dunn contacted MMA’s Human Resources Department to request the review, she learned the fee was $250 and didn’t send it. She was also was advised that any changes to the policy should be reviewed by the town’s attorney. DeMers-Dobson requested the review be done because former Library Director Bonnie Santos was fired in January and DeMers-Dobson is concerned the policy does not have language about due process regarding termination, which she fears could be illegal.
What’s next: Dunn will send the entire Personnel Policies & Procedures Handbook for MMA to review.
Biennial policies review
What happened: Selectmen tabled the biennial review of the town’s policies and bylaws.
What it means: DeMers-Dobson wanted to look at these in more detail, especially with the Zadoc Long Free Library’s Accession and Deaccession Policy that she is concerned about. This policy governs how items for the library are accepted and discarded.
What’s next: Selectmen will discuss the remaining bylaws and policies at their next meeting.
Sunshine Bank
What happened: Selectmen approved a request from an employee to donate their time to another during the second employee’s time of need.
What it means: One employee wanted to donate 220 sick time hours and 140 vacation hours. Selectmen approved this.
Library Committee
What happened: Selectmen voted to appoint Michelle Wing of Hartford to the Library Committee.
What it means: The Zadoc Long Free Library serves Buckfield, Hartford and Sumner and the committee has at least one member from each town. The Hartford seat was vacant. Wing will serve a three-year term.
Budget inquiry
What happened: Selectmen sent their budget inquiries to the Budget Committee for review.
What it means: Further questions from the Budget Committee will go back to selectmen for clarification.
What’s next: Budget Committee members will go over the questions from selectmen at an upcoming meeting.
Contractor bags
What happened: Dunn informed selectmen that Transfer Station attendants requested banning the use of contractor bags for household trash.
What it means: The size of these large, tall bags do not properly fit into the compactor and are jamming it up.
What’s next: Dunn will post a notice at the Buckfield-Sumner Transfer Station.
Cemetery policy
What happened: Selectmen directed the Budget Committee to continue to review the town’s Buckfield/Damon Cemetery Lots Policy.
What it means: Budget Committee Chairwoman Vivian Wadas said the town’s policy regarding perpetual care conflicts with state law. The committee will continue to research the policy and see what other towns do for their cemetery care, including regular maintenance and perpetual care.
What’s next: The committee will report to selectmen its recommendations for joint discussion between the two panels.
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