BUCKFIELD — The Select Board made two brief motions following a 67-minute executive session Thursday night, then hastily recessed the meeting in front of nearly 20 Zoom viewers hoping to hear news on the status of the Buckfield Town Office following the resignation of the town manager.
Board members Tina Brooks, Martha Catevenis and Cheryl Coffman unanimously passed a motion to hire a certified public accountant and an accountant for temporary work, and then voted to schedule an interview with a candidate who had applied for the interim town manager position.
Immediately after that — one minute after coming out of executive session — the board recessed to an indefinite date. Nothing else was said and the Zoom meeting was immediately terminated.
The Select Board did not say how much it would cost taxpayers to hire a CPA and an accountant or from where the money would come.
The town has been in turmoil since the sudden resignation of Town Manager John Andrews after six months on the job. In his resignation letter, Andrews cited a “toxic environment” with the Select Board for the reason for his departure.
Thursday was the third meeting this week of the Select Board since Andrews’ resignation. In those three meetings, the board has met in executive session for a total of 3 hours and 38 minutes. The last two meetings featured quick exits after coming out of executive sessions.
Town attorney Jack Conway attended a portion of Thursday’s executive session. Nearly 20 Buckfield residents waited on Zoom during the executive session before it was abruptly cut off.
In addition to not having a town manager, the board postponed two scheduled public hearings this week on the 2021-22 municipal budget. The public hearings have yet to be rescheduled.
The Select Board will undergo a major makeover after the June election, when the board increases from three to five members. Only current Selectwoman Coffman is expected to remain.
Brooks had previously announced her intention to resign following the election due to family concerns. Catevenis is not running for reelection.
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