Alna talks roads, planning board seat, more

Alna selectmen Aug. 10 named longtime resident Darcie Hutchins to the planning board over past planning board chair Jeff Spinney and past selectman Linda Kristan. Earlier in the meeting, on another topic, Spinney started to make a point about the road commissioner’s powers as an elected official, and he told planning board member Cathy Johnson to “shut the (expletive) up” after she told him the selectboard had not recognized him to speak. Wiscasset Newspaper, attending remotely, made out that exchange, but not all statements that night, due to some varying audio on the Zoom feed. Spinney, reached Sunday, confirmed he said it. 

Due to the audio issue, some selectboard stances on the night’s business were gathered later from the two members who took part, First Selectman Ed Pentaleri and Second Selectman Steve Graham and a written public statement by Third Selectman Coreysha Stone, who was absent. As for Spinney’s remark, selectmen in the meeting said the behavior was not appropriate, with Graham at one point asking Spinney if he wanted to stay in the meeting.

The planning board pick that went to Hutchins is for the eight months left on the term of Jim Amaral, who resigned recently. Hutchins’ July 31 email to selectmen said working 25 years in the medical laboratory field has taught her great attention to detail. “I want to play a role in sound and accurate decisions for the town and its residents ... I would like to contribute to maintaining Alna's status as a very nice community to live in.” She has lived there since 2000. “I love it here,” she wrote.

In emails to the town asking to be considered for the seat, Kristan noted her prior service on Richmond’s planning board. “I worked with a diverse and informed board and found it fascinating,” she wrote. She said she has been scribing the Alna planning board’s minutes since April 5 “and have become familiar with the valuable and complex ordinance work that they are engaged with.”

Spinney told officials via email, he is “quite fairly familiar with both the full breadth and the depth of the town ordinances as well as the extensive local history behind their development and the application of land use permitting ... Now, I guess to some it could appear that I might be 'conflicted out' due to my ongoing involvement in current litigation (with the town), but, as has been shown just recently with Johnson ... this isn’t really a conflict because one specific thing doesn't have to do with other things and a person's ability to evaluate things fairly ...”

In a June 28 court document, the town listed Johnson among parties prevailing in a 2021 appeal to the town appeals board over Spinney’s boat ramp project. Spinney and the town have ongoing court matters over the project, and the court had ordered the town to provide those names. Last month, Spinney argued a shoreland proposal Amaral had submitted should not be reviewed by Johnson because, Spinney said, Amaral’s project, like his, involved earthmoving. Johnson said she had received no court notice naming her a litigant in the Spinney shoreland matter.

As for going with Hutchins, selectmen felt a new face would be good; they cited Hutchins’ aptitude for the work and said they were impressed when they spoke with her. Stone’s statement, which Graham read from, stated in part: “Although all of the individuals that submitted emails of interest offer a wealth of knowledge and expertise, I feel it is best for this town, at this time, to prioritize the appointment of a fresh face and a fresh perspective.”

In the meeting, resident Ralph Hilton cited Spinney’s experience in the work the planning board does. Spinney knows it “inside and out,” and a new face was not what the planning board needs. 

Also Thursday night, selectmen, local contractor and roads committee chair Calvin Cooper and other attendees discussed recent hot top work, including whether or not it had board approval, and whether or not it needed board approval. Responding to a comment from Beth Whitney, First Selectman Ed Pentaleri said the board has taken no powers from the road commissioner, is following statutes and has “always felt we can do better when we’ve got more eyes, more brains” and work as a team.

Cooper will be paid for the roadwork discussed, which ran near $2,700, Pentaleri said.

Alna needs a new health officer. If interested, contact the town office. Pentaleri said in the meeting, Joan Belcher has resigned after five years of service. He said she has been a great resource, including providing residents with informative messages in the pandemic. 

Pentaleri also named several people who helped or offered to help get the shed for the community garden at the town office. He said Aaron Weissblum built the shed and contributed surplus metal roofing; Beth Foye and Helen Rasmussen volunteered to help with construction, but help did not end up being needed; Gary Hayward donated hundreds of board feet of siding; Les Fossel donated windows; and Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum volunteers Mike Fox, James Patten, Ed Lecuyer and Dave Buczkowski used an M10A military forklift and an F-350 rack truck to move the shed from Weissblum’s home to the town office, where Pentaleri said they sited and leveled the shed using blocking WW&F donated.