NEWPORT, Maine — All five members of the Newport Board of Selectmen attended Wednesday’s meeting. True to his word, Selectman Chris Dow remained in his seat, despite a vote of no confidence taken by fellow board members last month.
Two weeks ago, the other board members voted to request Dow’s resignation after a contentious executive session. Neither the board members nor the town manager could reveal what was said in that meeting, since state law prohibits it.
After that vote, Dow pledged to continue in his position and he made it clear Wednesday that he was not taking a back seat.
Dow opened Wednesday’s meeting with two requests. He was seeking the minutes of the Jan. 21 board meeting and a copy of both the resignation notice and complaint submitted last year by former Fire Chief Greg Buckland.
Dow did not specify why he wanted the documents and fellow board members did not ask. After the meeting, however, Town Manager James Ricker said the minutes are a public document and he would provide them to Dow, but the other two documents are part of Buckland’s personnel file as a town employee and are not pub-lic documents.
In other business Wednesday night, the board heard an update from Ricker regarding federal and state stimulus funding. Ricker said that although Newport had some projects already submitted for approval, none was approved.
“There are no direct funds for infrastructure,” he said, referring to the town’s plans to build a new public safety complex that could house the police and fire departments.
“The fire chief and I will proceed with submitting a grant under [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] to construct the new complex,” he said. The grant would be for $1.9 million.
“We have been applying for FEMA fire grants for eight years,” Ricker said, “and we haven’t seen anything yet.”
Ricker said he felt the town did not have an income level low enough to qualify for some funds.
“I do believe the town has missed out on some valuable funding,” Selectman Rick Clark said.
Ricker also reported that the move into the new Newport Cultural Center will begin next Monday. “The first week, we will move the library. The second week, we’ll move the Historical Society,” he said.
Ricker said the problem with moving the Historical Society is that it is located on the third floor of the Gilman Building, across from the new center, and there is no elevator. “Everything will have to come down the stairs,” he said. A scissor lift has been rented to take some very heavy items out through windows. “We really need more volunteers to help carry the items across the street,” he said. The manager said Charleston Correctional Facility will be sending down some inmates to assist with the move.
The Center will open on March 23 and a grand opening will be held on April 18.
Ricker said that a new Cultural Center director has been identified and is in the final stages of the hiring process. If hired, she will begin work next Monday.
The board also accepted a $100 check from a donor from Fort Fairfield who read a recent Bangor Daily News article about the police department’s home visitation program. The check was meant to be given to someone in need. The board voted to leave that decision up to Chief Leonard Macdaid, who initiated the program.