Editor’s note: A story published Wednesday about a selectmen’s meeting in Poland contained errors introduced during editing and not in reporting. The errors changed the context of some elements of that meeting. Below is a synopsis of selectmen’s discussions.
POLAND – If selectmen do not correct a procedural error in crafting the original warrant for a recent special town meeting, the votes taken at that meeting could be challenged.
Selectmen will meet Feb. 1 to continue discussions on how or if to correct that procedural error.
The special town meeting in question was held to decide whether to rezone property owned by a sitting selectman and to approve spending for an economic development consultant contract. At issue is Selectman Bud Jordan’s conflict of interest in signing the special meeting warrant that included his request to rezone his property.
More than a year ago, Jordan made a request to rezone about 80 acres of his property from “farm and forest,” which carries a 5-acre parcel minimum, back to its original “village” zone, which carries a 2-acre minimum.
Selectmen agreed, in December, to hold a special town meeting to get voter approval to pay for an economic development study and included Jordan’s pending rezoning request on the warrant.
Selectmen Glenn Peterson, Steve Robinson, David Corcoran and Jordan signed the warrant; Selectwoman Wendy Sanborn objected and did not sign the warrant.
Jordan should have recused himself from voting for the warrant and should not have signed it, according to town attorney Curtis Webber. Jordan, however, has always made public his ownership of the property.
Under the circumstances, the entire special town meeting, which included approving $13,000 for a consultant to conduct an economic development study, can be challenged now if at least 10 citizens convince a judge that the town meeting is void because of Jordan’s conflict of interest, according to Town Manager Richard Chick.
“If no one challenges it, then nothing changes,” said Chick. “But right now, there’s a cloud hanging over it.”
On Tuesday, Jordan acknowledged that he should not have voted for or signed the town meeting warrant. However, he pointed out that no one challenged the vote at the special meeting.
Attorney Webber drafted a resolution for selectmen acknowledging the error, making full disclosure of the conflict of interest, and ratifying the results of the special town meeting. That resolution was presented to selectmen Tuesday but the board failed to approve the resolution after a vote ended in a tie.
During the board’s discussion, Selectman David Corcoran admonished Chairman Glenn Peterson when Peterson refused to consider approving the resolution. He blamed Peterson for missing an opportunity to correct an error and for giving the town a “black eye,” and for implying that the warrant was signed with bad intentions.
Selectwoman Wendy Sanborn sided with Peterson in voting against the resolution; Selectman Steve Robinson voted with Corcoran in favor of the measure.
Jordan abstained from the vote and an earlier motion that had been left pending kept the issue alive and was tabled for the Feb. 1 board meeting. Peterson sided with the majority to table the issue, while Sanborn opposed.
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