Selectmen voted in private session because they were dealing with a personnel issue.
By Gail Geraghty
Staff Writer

NORWAY – Selectmen decided in executive session Thursday night how to deal with a personnel matter involving Police Chief Tim Richards. They will release their written findings Friday afternoon at the town hall.

Bill Damon, chairman of the Board of Selectmen declined to disclose details of the decision following the two and a half hour executive session, led by John Loyd Jr. of Brunswick, an attorney hired by the town specifically to represent selectmen.

Damon said selectmen have agreed not to discuss the matter publicly beyond the written findings that will be made public at Norway Town Hall on Friday afternoon. He said the document will be released after all five selectmen have had a chance to read and sign it.

Damon said typically, selectmen come out of executive session and take a vote in public.

But in this case, Damon said Loyd told them that they could vote in secret session because they were dealing with a personnel issue.

“We’ve all agreed we’re not going to be talking about it,” Damon said. He did say, however, that there were no outstanding issues remaining about the town’s position.

Richards, 44, of Lovell was placed on paid administrative March 4 after a temporary protection from abuse order was granted on behalf of a former police officer, Cynthia M. Mitchell, 41, of Harrison. She worked at the Norway Police Department from August 1999 to December 2002 and was the department’s D.A.R.E. officer.

She alleged harassment by him early this year after she broke off a relationship with him, and she alleged he assaulted her in August 2002 after they began seeing each other.

The temporary order was continued for a year after lawyers for both sides conferred prior to a March 4 hearing in 9th District Court in Bridgton.

In an interview prior to Thursday’s closed-door session, Loyd said Richards chose to have the town conduct the personnel inquiry as a private matter, which requires no comment by selectmen until a decision is rendered in writing.

Holt, who has separate legal representation in the matter by town attorney Geoffrey Hole, was not available for comment Friday afternoon.

Richards, who became chief in 1998, has been placed on leave twice in the last 21 months. The previous incident involved a 2001 assault complaint against his ex-wife that was later filed, meaning no further action would be taken providing no further incidents occurred in the next six months.