CANTON — Facing the resignation of their chairman and the absence of their vice chairman Thursday night, Planning Board members had Board of Selectmen Chairman Donny Hutchins open their meeting.
The resignation of Chairwoman Sue Degroot, who did not attend the meeting, was accepted, with regret.
And Vice Chairman Tricia Blanchard texted that she could not attend because of a death in her family.
At a loss on how to proceed because the board’s ordinance didn’t cover such a situation, members said, Mary Wainwright contacted Hutchins by cellphone and he, via conference call, opened the meeting and asked for nominations for chairman.
Initially, members wanted to nominate Blanchard, but Hutchins said they couldn’t nominate someone who was absent. Member Tom Adley nominated secretary Doreen Boyce, who declined.
Mike Timberlake was nominated, and Adley, Boyce, Wainwright and Rebecca McDonald approved.
Timberlake had Boyce write in the minutes that the board should contact selectmen to learn if this was the correct procedure to follow.
Timberlake then read draft minutes off his cellphone from the board’s June 4 meeting. At that meeting, Timberlake said Code Enforcement Officer Scotty Kilbreth approved a permit for Bill LaChance to build a 36- by 40-foot pole barn and a permit for Randy Gross for the replacement of a deck and to add an extension.
The board also told developer Bill Gray that he could rebuild a structure in the previous building’s footprint. A clause in the town’s ordinance gives Gray two years to complete the process.
The board also discussed creation of a beach ordinance.
After Timberlake finished reading the June 4 meeting minutes, the board unanimously approved them. He said he would get a printed copy for board records.
Members voted to accept DeGroot’s resignation “with regret.”
Afterward, members reviewed copies of beach ordinances from Sebago, Biddeford-York, Hartford and Sabattus to see what they could use or alter to fit Canton.
They also discussed having current town beach volunteer caretakers Gus and Mollie Elliott attend a meeting to share their concerns about what should be included in a beach ordinance for Lake Anasagunticook.
Boyce, who said she liked Sebago’s ordinance, was asked to write a draft ordinance and the board will review it at its meeting Thursday, July 16.
The board also discussed contacting selectmen to gain access to Planning Board files that are locked in the Town Office and only accessible when it is open. Timberlake said that since the move from the old Town Office on Staples Hill Road to the new office, Planning Board records were just dumped en masse into filing cabinets and need to be organized.
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