Alna Third Selectman Charles Culbertson said Aug. 5, he was “dead wrong” last month when he said the board could put a moratorium, or hold, on certain building permits.

It cannot; a moratorium takes a town vote, Culbertson said he learned from Maine Municipal Association. The board voted 2-0 July 7 to give out no permits for accessory apartments or for two homes on a lot until the town passes a “fair and enforceable” amendment to the building code.

An in-person and virtual workshop on that is set for 6 p.m. Aug. 12, a town email announced Aug. 4. And Aug. 5, selectmen told meeting attendees at the town office and over Zoom, the July 7 vote is null and void.

“I owe the town an apology,” Culbertson said. “So mea culpa on that.” The moratorium was meant to negotiate “the knife’s edge” of stating publicly the ordinance had unenforceable parts and then risking that people “could exploit that, could take advantage” while the town works on it, he said. “These things take time, to put an ordinance in front of the town and get (it) voted on. So that’s the conundrum.”

Brett Donham thanked the board. “People make mistakes, public officials make mistakes. Seldom if ever do they publicly apologize for them. I’d like to thank you and congratulate you for your transparency ...”

Residents Mike Trask and Jeff Spinney questioned the aim and impact of possible changes to the ordinance. Second Selectman Linda Kristan said it was becoming a debate, and those were questions for the workshop.

The place and a Zoom link would be announced, Culbertson said.