Remote Policy public hearing, potential infrastructure improvements, as well as absentee ballots available from Town Office.
Select Board approved amended remote access policy, following Public Hearing.
Proposed amendments removed language specifying specific remote meeting providers or livestream platforms. The town is exploring upgrading technology to be able to provide a hybrid meeting option, but that format is currently not possible.
Other towns have used the hybrid model. Select Board Chair, Brian Sites, noted a hybrid access policy for other committees and certain situations could be beneficial. It would enable committees, such as the EDSC, to utilize business consultants that might not be available to attend in person.
The approved policy provides an option for Select Board members to meet remotely under limited circumstances and sets guidelines to ensure public access. State law encourages municipal bodies to meet in person. Any town meetings, regardless of format, must adhere to FOAA statues.
Residents have expressed concerns about impact if pushing town proceedings to be online for anything other than emergency. Judy Potter has frequently reminded the Board and other committees not everyone in town has reliable internet access, cable or even a computer.
Additionally, there are known ongoing issue for residents accessing meeting from home. If in person attendees do not use a microphone, they cannot be heard and those portions of a discussion are not clearly recorded.
Linc Merrill noted further impact for residents with disabilities. At a Housing Authority meeting conducted as a hybrid meeting, with some members joining through an internet meeting provider, members attending in person with hearing limitations could not hear online participants.
The Board voted 4-1 to approve policy. Other committees must adopt their own version of the policy.
Due to a staff error, meeting documents were not posted to the town website until the start of the meeting. Interim Town Manager, Chris Bolduc, apologized for the issue and is working with staff to ensure information is posted in a more timely manner. Posting deadline for meeting materials was discussed by the Board at the October 5 meeting.
In other business, Code Enforcement Officer Ryan Keith updated the Board on the GIS integration project. The project entails merging or uploading all records for every property in North Yarmouth into a single digital file. This includes permits, septic designs and owner history. Keith estimated he is approximately a quarter of the way through Map 1.
Keith also noted contractors are able to fill permits and pay online, so any future updates to a property will automatically be captured digitally.
The town server has capacity, so there is not additional cost for the project. No estimated date of completion was given. Keith recommended waiting until all files are updated before making the system publicly available.
Bolduc confirmed the new town auditor is working with staff to begin annual audit. The auditor will also be reviewing files to discover what happened regarding the discrepancy with the Westcustogo Hall Fund. A joint Select Board and Budget Committee meeting will be scheduled once answers are available. The FY21 audit issues were announced in August, and a joint meeting of the Select Board and Budget Committee was convened to discuss the preliminary findings.
Bolduc also shared potential for North Yarmouth infrastructure expansions. Summit Natural Gas (Summit) is working on a plan and incentives for expanding natural gas to North Yarmouth residents. The proposal will likely involve connecting to a 6” line in Cumberland to be extended along Route 9 and possibly to the York Subdivision on Route 115. Bolduc indicated Summit is keen begin the process and “want to get going in weeks,” rather than months.
Yarmouth Water District (YWD) will be at the next Board meeting, November 3. Eric Gagnon (Superintendent) and Matt Reynolds (hydrogeologist) will be giving a presentation to the Board regarding issues and challenges in North Yarmouth.
Sites noted upcoming meeting:
Town Councils and SAD meeting tentatively set for October 27 at 6 pm. However, this date will likely change as it has not been confirmed on any of the municipal calendars.
The Joint Standing Committee is set to meet November 10
Senior Housing Forums will be held November 7 at 1 pm, November 10 at 7 pm
School Board Chair, Tyler McGinley, had an unexpected conflict and was unable to attend the Board meeting. McGinley asked Sites to share about the critical staffing shortage at MSAD51. Further details of staffing needs and impact of the shortage for the SAD were outlined during the October 18 MSAD51 School Board meeting which can be viewed HERE. Information was summarized in Superintendent Porter's updates to the Greely Goes Green Plan.
Reminder the comment period for the Town Charter is open until December 10. Residents can submit suggestions for changes online or at the Town Office. Only North Yarmouth residents can submit comments.
Stephen Demelle was confirmed to the Shellfish Conservation Commission following the resignation of Harold Hibbard. The appointment had been deferred from the previous Board meeting at the request of Selectperson, David Reed. The Board recently began the practice of asking potential committee appointees to be present at the Board meeting in which they would be confirmed. Demelle will serve the remaining term for Hibbard, which expires in 2023.
Election Day is scheduled for November 2. Polls will be open 7am to 8pm at Wescustogo. Absentee ballots are available from the Town Office. Residents may request a ballot online, over the phone or in person. The last day to request an Absentee Ballot is Thursday, October 28. The Clerk’s Office will have extended hours on October 28, 7 am to 7 pm.
The next Select Board meeting is scheduled November 3