Having a resident as a code enforcement officer risks conflict, Alna First Selectman Ed Pentaleri said. The statement Sept. 27 was in response to Third Selectman Coreysha Stone’s asking if two possible candidates, both residents, would be considered for the CEO job that has been vacant for weeks.

Past Alna CEO Tom McKenzie recently reminded the board he had offered to help if the town became in dire straits; and past planning board chair Jeff Spinney – owner of the Golden Ridge Road boat ramp at the center of years of town discord turned litigation – has said he would consider serving as CEO.

Sept. 27, Pentaleri updated the board on the vacancy. He said the town’s new local plumbing inspector (LPI) George Turnbull was first interested in also being CEO; is not now; and might sometime be. Pentaleri said he is continuing to look for candidates, and is consulting town counsel and Maine Municipal Association “to understand if there are ways that we can either partially or fully mitigate that situation.”

Second Selectman Steve Graham wondered if the Maine Building Officials and Inspection Association could be a source of names.

Stone said if the board is not going to consider McKenzie or Spinney, “then that should just be acknowledged or discussed. Or if they are people you would entertain, then that should be discussed or acknowledged.”

Pentaleri said he has “a very strong opinion that it’s a far better practice (to) have the code enforcement officer not be a town resident. It’s just all kinds of potential for conflict ...” He added, “I’ve still got quite a number of leads to follow up on, so I’d like to keep working on those.”

Graham said he appreciated the two offers and would not “foreclose” on considering them, but he did not feel a need to address those offers until there either are or are not more candidates.

CEO/LPI Greg Lumbert resigned in August. 

Meanwhile, progress has been made on an anticipated opening for deputy town clerk. Two people have applied, Pentaleri said. He explained Sept. 28, Deputy Town Clerk Lynette Eastman plans to fully retire by October 2024. “We’re putting our hook in the water now so that we have time to train someone, if necessary, so that we can have a smooth transition,” Pentaleri said via email.

In the meeting, Stone asked Pentaleri if – as with the CEO – it was preferred to not have the deputy town clerk be a resident. Pentaleri said he not see “quite the same potential for conflict.”