KINGFIELD — Selectmen reluctantly accepted the resignation of their Administrative Assistant Douglas Marble on Monday night.

Marble has another employment opportunity but he has agreed to continue to assist selectmen while they search for a replacement. He also serves as the town’s code enforcement officer, so the board will advertise for the two positions, with a deadline for accepting applications by the end of the month.

“We need to get resume packages for an experienced administrative assistant,” Chairman Heather Moody said. “We just happened to have Doug qualified as the code enforcement officer, but that’s a separate job.”

In other news, property owner Richard Keenan recently donated approximately four acres of the former Joneco Mill site for recreational use. At the  meeting, his son, Steve Keenan, asked selectmen to consider deeding two acres of the parcel to him if he agreed to pay the costs to clean debris on the property.

The Kingfield Fire Department burned the empty building to the ground several years ago. The remaining debris and soil contains toxic materials, and selectmen agreed not to ask taxpayers to pay the removal costs. They had planned to apply for a grant to pay for the disposal of soil and hazardous materials, but Keenan offered an alternative proposal.

Selectmen could divide the property, with the line on the west side of the driveway on the West Kingfield Road. He said, in a teleconferenced interview, that he plans to build a commercial structure on the property. He proposed paying to restore the property to standards required by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection.

Selectmen suggested Steve Keenan should agree to pay a penalty if he fails to meet an agreed-upon deadline, but he declined to make a decision on the spot.

“I don’t know if I want to go with the Cinderella plan,” Steve Keenan said.

He agreed to come to a selectmen’s meeting to continue the discussion.

The town’s Revitalization Committee organizer, Cynthia Orcutt, asked for selectmen’s support to form a Kingfield Bicentennial Committee. She said the Planning Board, and the Village Enhancement and Route 27 Committees have taken leadership roles, but individual efforts could be very efficient if they were combined in a plan for 2016.

“We do need selectmen to approve forming this committee,” she said.

She reviewed strategic long-term strategies: suggesting proposed village enhancements, like walking trails, an information kiosk, or a park; bicentennial events and promotions; economic goals and overall organization plans, could be part of the preparation for the kickoff on Jan. 24, 2016. Orcutt also expressed her regret that Marble would be leaving his position.

“He’s never said ‘no’ or been negative,” she said. “I’m really sorry to see him go.”

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