WILTON — The Wilton Select Board voted unanimously on Tuesday, Aug. 15, to post a job listing for town manager. Selectpersons Keith Swett and Phil Hilton were not present to cast their vote.

Current Town Manager Perry Ellsworth formally announced his departure from the position in July. His final day in the role is projected to be Nov. 1. Ellsworth has stated, however, that he will stay with the position until a viable candidate is found.

“I’ve committed to you that I will not leave you until you find the right person,” Ellsworth said. “So we’ll work through that.”

At the meeting on Tuesday, Ellsworth stressed to the select board the qualifications they must prioritize. He strongly suggested a candidate with at least five years of experience within Maine along with experience in big town projects and bonding.

Chairperson Tiffany Maiuri stated the board would look into assembling a hiring committee for the town manager. More details of the hiring committee are expected to come at the next Wilton Select Board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

In other business, Ellsworth shared with the board that, in speaking with the members of the cannabis ordinance committee since their previous select board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 1, a moratorium was strongly recommended.

Talks of a moratorium have been off and on since February when the licensing fees for various levels of cannabis operations were reduced in Wilton.

These reductions resulted in the town office seeing a sharp influx of applications over the next few months, which led to the formation of an ordinance committee to reexamine current policies and ordinances regarding cannabis growth, cultivation and retail.

According to Ellsworth, they will be working with Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer, & Nelson, a New England-based law firm in Portland, to draft the moratorium. Selectperson David Leavitt asked what the expected cost would be, to which Ellsworth estimated $1,000.

Selectperson Mike Wells asked how long it would take for a moratorium to be drafted once the vote passes. Ellsworth responded by saying that a moratorium would be ready for the next meeting.

Once the moratorium is put into effect, all licenses for cannabis operations will be halted. Wells questioned if the moratorium would take effect retroactively. Ellsworth stated those details would be discussed with the law firm.

The select board voted to approve Ellsworth working with Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer, & Nelson to draft a moratorium.

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