By Jodi Hausen,Staff Writer

WILTON – The town’s new Board of Selectmen unanimously elected Russell Black as chairman Tuesday night.

Paul Gooch, retiring Wilton schools principal and a new selectman, was absent.

Selectmen discussed the legalities of awarding money from a fund for a project at Mt. Blue High School. A representative from the school district was not at the meeting, but selectmen discussed the possibility of keeping the money in Wilton rather than giving it to the high school in Farmington.

The Charles L. Green Fund, initially at $89,000, was willed to the town in 1929 with stipulations that money be granted to the Farmington Home for the Aged, Franklin Memorial Hospital and trustees of the Wilton Academy. The will also states that if the Wilton Academy ceases to exist, the money should go to a free public high school – presumably Mt. Blue, in this case.

However, Selectman Keith Swett questioned whether, since the school itself still exists as Academy Hill School, the money should stay with the Wilton school.

Town Manager Peter Nielsen read a decision written by Judge Richard Morton in July 2003 stating that the money should go to Mt. Blue High School, but selectmen asked Nielsen to get the opinion of legal counsel anyway. They concurred that they would like to see the money stay in Wilton.

“I’d like a legal opinion as to whether the academy is still the academy,” Swett said.

Selectmen appointed people to town positions without much discussion. The board reappointed Nielsen as town manager, Linda Jellison as town clerk and Paul Montague as code enforcement officer.

Keith Swett was reappointed to the Planning Board but had to vote for himself for the reappointment.

With Paul Gooch absent and Selectman Rodney Hall abstaining, only Russell Black and Terry Brann voted to reappoint him initially. Swett abstained in the initial vote but a second vote was taken when Black, Brann and Swett realized the motion wouldn’t carry without Swett’s self-endorsement.

Selectmen also accepted the resignation of Norm Gould from the Planning Board.

Despite a recommendation from the Planning Board to appoint Irv Faunce to Gould’s position, selectmen tabled his appointment pending review of his application, which the town manager had not provided for the meeting. Faunce has been serving as an alternate and may continue to do so, his term as an alternate ending in 2007. The board will take up the issue again at its next meeting.