Despite Alna Second Selectman Steve Graham’s urging otherwise Aug. 24, First Selectman Ed Pentaleri blamed the code enforcement officer’s quitting on the actions of a fellow resident. 

In the meeting at the town office and on Zoom, Pentaleri spoke for several minutes about how qualified and competent CEO Greg Lumbert was and how Lumbert resigned because what one resident subjected him to was not worth the hassle. Pentaleri did not name Jeff Spinney as the “one incredibly selfish” person who “heaped demands” on Lumbert “far beyond what we should expect anyone to do for a stipend of $6,500 a year”; waged a campaign against Lumbert, including 77 emails over 77 days, when Lumbert “refused to be drawn into and support a variety of this person’s schemes and controversies”; and, with the loss of the CEO, impacting anyone who wants to follow town ordinances or have them enforced.

Spinney said he was “cleaning up your messes.” When Pentaleri finished, Graham reiterated he did not think Pentaleri’s detailed statement was necessary. “I don’t disagree with what you described, and I think it motivated our CEO to leave, as you said. But I question the appropriateness of that (statement) in this public forum.”

Third Selectman Coreysha Stone said there is a “middle ground.” She said Lumbert was bombarded and berated, but the way to approach this is to “focus on what we do want to see from community members ... The expectation is a reasonable level of communication ... honoring a process,” and appealing if they do not like the outcome, she said.

“I think that’s right on target,” and all but one resident already feels that way, Pentaleri said. 

“This is a bunch of bull crap to have at an open meeting,” resident Ralph Hilton said of Pentaleri’s comments. He asked Pentaleri why he did not trash him for several messages trying to help neighbors get a building permit. Lumbert did not say Hilton was the reason he left, Pentaleri responded. 

Resident Mike Trask said he was disappointed the other selectmen did not stop Pentaleri’s comments. “That should have never been said.” 

“It just adds fuel to the fire” of a big controversy in town, said resident David Abbott, a past, longtime selectman.

Pentaleri was recently censured in an ethics matter involving the town’s litigation with Spinney over Spinney’s boat ramp.

According to emails Spinney sent Stone, Graham, Wiscasset Newspaper and Lincoln County News in the days following the meeting, Spinney’s dozens of messages about town ordinances involved matters including the rocks placed last spring at Pinkham Pond; the handling of a citizen’s building permit request;  his complaint that there was unpermitted earthmoving at Head Tide Dam; and his attempts to get a permit to fix his driveway for erosion control.

When Lumbert resigned, Wiscasset Newspaper left a phone message and has not heard back. 

During the Aug. 24 discussion, Spinney brought up one of the items his messages regarded: His attempts to get a permit to fix his driveway. Pentaleri said for Spinney to wait until he was recognized to speak. As Spinney then described how he said Pentaleri responded to that permit issue, Pentaleri announced the meeting would continue after Spinney left. Trask said that should be up to the whole board. 

“You started it. This is all because of you. Right here, right tonight, it’s because of you,” Trask said.

Pentaleri said he was stopping the meeting at his discretion as chair and on the advice of counsel. The board planned to resume the meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30. Selectmen said Spinney could attend it via Zoom. Spinney told Wiscasset Newspaper afterward, he planned to attend in-person. Pentaleri, interviewed separately, said “We will do the best we can to deal with it ... The sanction right now is Jeff is ejected from that meeting.”

Friday morning, Chief Deputy Rand Maker confirmed the sheriff’s office was called out to Thursday night’s meeting “to remove somebody. When our deputy arrived, the meeting had already adjourned, there was no crime being committed, and we don’t anticipate any further action from that incident from our agency,” Maker told Wiscasset Newspaper. 

Also Aug. 24, Pentaleri announced the town has won a $19,000-plus Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant for a backup generator for the town office. His supervision of the work will count as the town’s 10% match, he said.

The climate action committee needs members. If interested, contact a selectman or email alnaclerk@gmail.com