The rocky walk-in to Pinkham Pond remained an issue at the close of Alna selectmen’s Sept. 21 meeting after partly contentious talks continued among selectmen and between selectmen and the public. Second Selectman Steve Graham and Third Selectman Coreysha Stone again urged First Selectman Ed Pentaleri to focus his comments on a solution and not preface his proposal with theories on the matter’s origins. Eventually, Pentaleri agreed to stop that part of his comments.

He said the board’s opposition to those comments was ridiculous, he had a right to speak and has received local praise for points he has made and tried to make in recent meetings, and he was stopping under protest.

Stone supported Pentaleri providing context except when it may not be proven or might do more harm than good. She also said his using his seat as a public forum could look like a power imbalance over others. Graham brought up the board’s ethics policy and said some of Pentaleri’s comments were not needed. The board censured Pentaleri this year over the possible appearance of bias in the town’s litigation with resident Jeff Spinney.

Resident Ralph Hilton said Pentaleri and Stone “ramrodded” a shoreland violation at the pond by being in on the talks that preceded the rock-laying, so they should go with Graham’s proposal. Graham suggested leaving the rocks where they are and covering them with an undetermined material to control erosion and make the walk-in suitable again for walking and maybe sitting. Stone’s and Pentaleri’s proposals each included removing a lot of the rocks. Spinney, a past planning board chair, advised the selectboard this would, by town rules, be excavation and require other materials to be put in. So, he said, removal would be “insane.”

Stone challenged Hilton’s statement about the matter’s origins and said “We’re all in this together.” An email she presented from soil specialist David Roque, based on his review of photos, said the material placed over the entry helped stop erosion, but “there may have been a less disruptive way.”

Ideas continued to form and selectmen decided 2-1, Pentaleri dissenting, to hire Roque to study the matter further and make a recommendation. It should cost $200 or so, Stone said.

The board named Caroline Long health officer; reappointed David Abbott to the appeals board until April 2026; Mary Bowers, until April 2025; and Alex Pugh, until April 2024; and named Scott Budde, Erin Clifford, Heather Dubina, Les Fossel, Beth Foye, Jon Luoma, Chris Kenoyer, Sherry Lyons, Al Monaco and Karen Rose to the climate action committee.

The board made George Turnbull local plumbing inspector (LPI). He did not agree to be code enforcement officer so that job remained unfilled. Mike Trask suggested Spinney, who said he would consider it. And past Alna CEO Tom McKenzie said that when he resigned to do other work, he offered to help if the board got into dire straights for code enforcement. He just wanted to make that offer again, he told the board.