OTISFIELD – Discussion between the Board of Selectmen and Comprehensive Plan Committee went smoothly for the first hour until they hit the issue of a Town Government Study Committee.

The two groups gathered during a special meeting Wednesday night and began talking about committee recommendations.

“A lot of the committees that the plan recommends should be made up anyway,” Selectman Gerry Robinson said. “We should appoint them and get the work started.”

Plans are to send applications to all residents in the community for the following committees: Road Management, Finance, Road Advisory, Recreation and Conservation Commission.

Then discussion turned to the Town Government Study Committee, which selectmen announced they plan to appoint.

“In the plan we made a recommendation that certain people not be on the committee,” Comprehensive Plan Committee Chair Jim Bishop said, referring to a section of the plan calling to exclude residents from serving is they collect pay from the town.

During a meeting Monday, committee members noted that condition was set before residents approved paying firefighters. They agreed to change the ordinance to allow firefighters to serve.

“That committee should not eliminate the people who have given a lot to this town over the years,” Selectman Lenny Adler said, citing Road Commissioner Richard Bean Sr., Moderator Frank Blauvelt and Fire Chief Garry Dyer. Committee member Win Webster suggested people like Bean and Adler could act as advisors.

“We are going to appoint this committee like we appoint every other committee in the town,” Robinson said.

Comprehensive Plan Committee members did not support the idea but selectmen said they plan to go forward and make the appointments.

During the meeting, the selectmen announced they recently approved an application that anyone seeking to be on a town committee will need to fill out before being interviewed for positions. Comprehensive Plan Committee members asked to see the application and Selectmen Assistant Marianne Izzo-Morin said she would supply one at a future date.

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