Alna is partly redoing its planning board makeup now and, due to “a complexity,” will finish appointments after the appeals board decides Jeff Spinney’s appeal of the planning board’s rejection of his boat ramp project, Second Selectman Doug Baston said in selectmen’s Sept. 2 Zoom meeting.

He said the appeals board could have questions or instructions for the planning board in connection with that appeal, so he consulted with the other selectmen and former Lincoln County planner Bob Faunce, who helped the planning board write its new bylaws. “I think the most appropriate thing is to ... keep most of the existing planning board in place ... because it would be unfair to change the composition of the board and then have something bump back and the composition ... is different and potentially a member has absolutely no background in what was a very long proceeding,” Baston told the meeting.

Selectmen moved Laurie Hiestand from alternate to full member, through March 31, 2023; kept member Taylor McGraw, also through March 31, 2023; kept Jim Amaral through March 31, 2024; and Peter Tischbein through March 31, 2025. Baston said Tom Albee declined a new term but will stay on during the Spinney appeal. Then selectmen plan to fill the other seat that expires in 2025 and name two alternates. The  bylaws called for a new round of appointments with staggered terms. 

Baston projected the other appointments could be made in a month or so. 

In a phone interview earlier Sept. 2, appeals board alternate David Abbott said the panel will meet on the Spinney appeal at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 18, place to be announced. The meeting might be on Zoom due to possible high attendance, he said. Sept. 1, the board made Alex Pugh chair and Mary Bowers secretary, Abbott said.

Due to the pandemic, parents interested in Alna’s vacant Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit 12 seat expect to be busy helping their children with remote learning or homeschooling, Baston said. “So some of the ideal candidates are sort of operating in a different world right now and can’t take on the obligation of an evening meeting.”

The seat Ralph Hilton left is still open, Baston said. “If you have any ideas, we’re all ears,” Third Selectman Greg Shute said. Their new email addresses, announced that night, are 3rdselectmanalna@gmail.com, 2ndselectmanalna@gmail.com and, for First Selectman Melissa Spinney, 1stselectmanalna@gmail.com

Also Sept. 2, Alna’s new, other SVRSU representative, Doug Morier, invited residents to email him at dmorier@svrsu.org

“You folks have got some challenging times,” Baston said. “I don’t envy your decisions you folks and the superintendent have to make.”

“It’s interesting times, for sure,” Morier responded.