Board of Selectmen

Kimberly Stacey-Horn - kstaceyhorn@actonmaine.org  1-207-502-5360 

David Winchell Jr. - dwinchell@actonmaine.org  1-207-432-6986

Tom McGurty  - tmcgurty@actonmaine.org Chairman

The Select Board will be at the Acton Town Hall from 5:00pm - 6:00pm on each Wednesday to sign warrants and bills prior to their weekly meetings, which start at 6:00pm.

All meetings and workshops are open to the public, but the Board reserves the right to not allow public participation in workshops.

Approved minutes from the Selectmen's Meetings can be found to the right of this page, dating back to 2006.

The Board is always looking for feedback, comments, concerns and compliments from the public.  If you would like to meet with a Selectmen and this time is not convenient to you, please contact our Town Administrator Jennifer Roux to schedule a one on one meeting with any of us, or feel free to use the contact email and phone numbers above.

The role of the Board of Selectmen is primarily to oversee the many departments, personnel and finances of the Town.    The Selectmen are confident in the Department Heads who are in each of their various positions.  Although the Board is always willing to hear concerns, it's also very important that the Board allows their Department Heads to do their specific job, first, as they are trained and certified in that area.

Board of Selectmen Meetings -

_ Procedures _

Every meeting will start with a salute to the American Flag.

The agenda, which is prepared by the Town Administrator, will be discussed to approve, with any Selectman being able to make a motion to add or remove items.  Persons wanting to be on the agenda, must either speak under public comment, for a maximum of 3 minutes, or notify Jennifer no later then 12noon of that Wednesday.  Depending on the length of the agenda the Town Administrator reserves the right to schedule for that week, or the next weeks' meeting.

Minutes from the prior meeting, if available with be discussed to approve or amend.  The Town Administrator sends these to the Board in advance in an effort to save time and allow for any corrections.

Below please find an outline of how the Board of Selectmen meetings are run each week. Although the Board strives to follow this guideline weekly, be advised situations may occur in which it needs to be changed without notice.

Town Administrator Weekly Updates:

Warrant / Bills

Department Head / Committee Chair Updates:

This is an area where any Department Head or Committee Chair who wants to speak to the Board may do so. You must notify the Town Administrator in advance if you're Dept/Board/Committee will be represented. Otherwise, public comment is always an option.  Public comment is not allowed during the department head or committee chairs update section of the meeting.

Old Business:

Items under old business are still being worked on. These are important matters that the Board leaves on the agenda until they are resolved, so not to be overlooked.  Essentially all new business, not completed will move up to old business the following week. Also, items brought to the Board's attention that they feel needs follow-up and instruction is given to the Town Administrator will be placed under old business for an update the next week. If an item is placed under old business, as a follow up from a public comment, the person who originally presented the comment will be allowed to come to the podium for followup and engage in the conversations of findings.

New Business:

Items that the Board are discussing for the first time, are placed on the agenda per any Board Member's request or by the Town Administrator. A majority of these new items come from the current week's daily activities and the Board is hearing about them for the first time at said meeting. If possible, or lengthy, or an emergency, the Town Administrator may email the Board supporting documents in advance. Public comment is not allowed during the new business portion of the meeting.

Public Comment:

This is a time when anyone from the public can address the Board, by approaching the podium and stating their name. This time is designated for any concerns, complaints, or compliments. Please take note however, the Board will not tolerate name calling, swearing, or direct insults to a specific employee or person, these situations must be dealt in a different manner, perhaps an executive session.  If you are unclear if your subject matter is allowable, please speak to any Selectman or the Town Administrator in advance.  Also all comments and/or questions must be addressed to the Board of Selectmen, only.

Announcements:

Any upcoming events that the Board or Town Administrator are aware of will be placed under this section, until expired. If you have an upcoming event, please contact Jennifer to get it on our announcements.

Meetings:

Based on the Freedom of Information law, all meetings must be posted and advertised a minimum of 7 days in advance, unless deemed an emergency. The Board uses the Town's website, Town's cable channel 26, and weekly agenda to meet that requirement.  All meetings will be filmed and aired as well. All others in audience

Executive Session If Necessary:

The Board of Selectmen will follow Maine State Statute Title 1, Chapter 13, Subchapter 1, Section 405 (See below after closing statement)

Conclusion

At the conclusion of the Board of Selectmen's meeting, we ask you to respect that the meeting is over, and exit the hall.   If you still have items you would like to discuss, that are non-emergency, please contact the Selectmen or Town Administrator on the business day.  Thank you for your cooperation. 

THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CALL ON ANY PERSON IN THE MEETING ROOM, AT ANY DURING TIME DURING THEIR MEETING.

§405. Executive sessions

Those bodies or agencies falling within this subchapter may hold executive sessions subject to the following conditions. [1975, c. 758, (NEW).]

1. Not to defeat purposes of subchapter.  An executive session may not be used to defeat the purposes of this subchapter as stated in section 401.

[ 2009, c. 240, §2 (AMD) .]

2. Final approval of certain items prohibited.  An ordinance, order, rule, resolution, regulation, contract, appointment or other official action may not be finally approved at an executive session.

[ 2009, c. 240, §2 (AMD) .]

3. Procedure for calling of executive session.  An executive session may be called only by a public, recorded vote of 3/5 of the members, present and voting, of such bodies or agencies.

[ 2009, c. 240, §2 (AMD) .]

4. Motion contents.  A motion to go into executive session must indicate the precise nature of the business of the executive session and include a citation of one or more sources of statutory or other authority that permits an executive session for that business. Failure to state all authorities justifying the executive session does not constitute a violation of this subchapter if one or more of the authorities are accurately cited in the motion. An inaccurate citation of authority for an executive session does not violate this subchapter if valid authority that permits the executive session exists and the failure to cite the valid authority was inadvertent.

[ 2003, c. 709, §1 (AMD) .]

5. Matters not contained in motion prohibited.  Matters other than those identified in the motion to go into executive session may not be considered in that particular executive session.

[ 2009, c. 240, §2 (AMD) .]

6. Permitted deliberation.  Deliberations on only the following matters may be conducted during an executive session:

A. Discussion or consideration of the employment, appointment, assignment, duties, promotion, demotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplining, resignation or dismissal of an individual or group of public officials, appointees or employees of the body or agency or the investigation or hearing of charges or complaints against a person or persons subject to the following conditions:

(1) An executive session may be held only if public discussion could be reasonably expected to cause damage to the individual's reputation or the individual's right to privacy would be violated;

(2) Any person charged or investigated must be permitted to be present at an executive session if that person so desires;

(3) Any person charged or investigated may request in writing that the investigation or hearing of charges or complaints against that person be conducted in open session. A request, if made to the agency, must be honored; and

(4) Any person bringing charges, complaints or allegations of misconduct against the individual under discussion must be permitted to be present.

This paragraph does not apply to discussion of a budget or budget proposal; [2009, c. 240, §2 (AMD).]

B. Discussion or consideration by a school board of suspension or expulsion of a public school student or a student at a private school, the cost of whose education is paid from public funds, as long as:

(1) The student and legal counsel and, if the student is a minor, the student's parents or legal guardians are permitted to be present at an executive session if the student, parents or guardians so desire; [2009, c. 240, §2 (AMD).]

C. Discussion or consideration of the condition, acquisition or the use of real or personal property permanently attached to real property or interests therein or disposition of publicly held property or economic development only if premature disclosures of the information would prejudice the competitive or bargaining position of the body or agency; [1987, c. 477, §3 (AMD).]

D. Discussion of labor contracts and proposals and meetings between a public agency and its negotiators. The parties must be named before the body or agency may go into executive session. Negotiations between the representatives of a public employer and public employees may be open to the public if both parties agree to conduct negotiations in open sessions; [1999, c. 144, §1 (RPR).]

E. Consultations between a body or agency and its attorney concerning the legal rights and duties of the body or agency, pending or contemplated litigation, settlement offers and matters where the duties of the public body's or agency's counsel to the attorney's client pursuant to the code of professional responsibility clearly conflict with this subchapter or where premature general public knowledge would clearly place the State, municipality or other public agency or person at a substantial disadvantage; [2009, c. 240, §2 (AMD).]

F. Discussions of information contained in records made, maintained or received by a body or agency when access by the general public to those records is prohibited by statute; [1999, c. 180, §1 (AMD).]

G. Discussion or approval of the content of examinations administered by a body or agency for licensing, permitting or employment purposes; consultation between a body or agency and any entity that provides examination services to that body or agency regarding the content of an examination; and review of examinations with the person examined; and [1999, c. 180, §2 (AMD).]

H. Consultations between municipal officers and a code enforcement officer representing the municipality pursuant to Title 30-A, section 4452, subsection 1, paragraph C in the prosecution of an enforcement matter pending in District Court when the consultation relates to that pending enforcement matter. [1999, c. 180, §3 (NEW).]

Upcoming Agenda