Alna’s Head Tide Dam Committee viewed a contractor’s familiarity with the Sheepscot River as a plus that would help the firm draw up the committee’s ideas to show residents.

But Alna selectmen, who created the committee, said the ties a member of the firm has with the river could pose either a conflict of interest or residents’ perception of one. And that could scuttle any shot the committee has of garnering town support for whatever project the committee eventually proposes, selectmen said Aug. 12.

In an Aug. 4 letter submitted with a bid, Mike Burke of Newcastle, a senior water resources engineer for Inter-Fluve of Damariscotta, states that he would manage the team that prepares a preliminary design for the dam site.

“In doing so, I will leverage my personal knowledge of the site and the associated critical issues, and my knowledge of the Sheepscot River region,” Burke writes. “As a resident of Lincoln County and owner of property along the Sheepscot, I am personally invested in the project, in the sound management of the river and local resources, and in the safety of the community.

“I am deeply respectful of the historical resources, presently residing in the former shopkeeper’s home in Head Tide while I work on restoration of my own circa 1825 home in Sheepscot Village,” the letter continues.

Although Burke’s property is outside Alna, its value could be impacted by changes to the dam, selectmen said Aug. 12.

“I think that screams conflict of interest,” Second Selectman Melissa Spinney said.

Third Selectman Doug Baston agreed, and said Burke’s proposed management of the work poses more of an issue than if he were on the team “with someone else bossing it.”

“All kinds of people are going to say (the work) was non-objective,” Town Clerk Amy Warner said.

At a Head Tide Dam Committee meeting the same night, Andrew Goode, vice president of U.S. programs for the Atlantic Salmon Federation said Inter-Fluve would be carrying out the committee’s ideas, not coming up with its own.

Burke concurred in a telephone interview Aug. 13.

“My proposed role is to develop and communicate the committee’s own ideas ... goals and and objectives, not my own personal goals and objectives,” Burke said.

As a consultant working in science and engineering, he maintains a keen sense of objectivity on all projects, he said.

The Atlantic Salmon Federation will hire the firm and foot the bill for the work, Goode said.

He discussed selectmen’s concerns during the committee meeting at the Alna fire station.

Committee members were surprised, saying they thought Burke’s familiarity with the river was a bonus. The panel made plans to contact selectmen; if selectmen continue to have concerns with Burke’s role in the project, the firm could do the work without Burke or without him leading it, Goode said.

During the committee meeting, Goode said Inter-Fluve’s bid was the better of two that came in. “This one was by far the best, and they do a lot of this kind of work,” he said.

In the pair of meetings Aug. 12, the board of selectmen and the dam committee cited the importance of an open and objective process leading up to any proposal. Committee members discussed ideas to maintain transparency, including press releases, public meetings and meeting notes.

The panel is planning a public meeting with a representative of the Maine Department of Marine Resources.

The concrete dam once powered a lumber mill. The Jewett family turned the dam over to the town in a deed that called for it to never be destroyed. The Atlantic Salmon Federation, along with other groups in recent years, have approached the town about improving fish passage.

Burke’s letter to the Atlantic Salmon Federation states, in part: “The successful solution will simultaneously honor the quintessential history of the mill and the region, while also improving water quality, abundant fish populations and increased recreational activities.”