PARIS — Immediately following an executive session Oct. 20, Selectman Michael Bailey resigned, the second in the past month to do so.

The Select Board placed Paris Road Commissioner and Highway Director James Hutchinson on paid administrative leave during the executive session.

Town Manager Natalie Andrews told the Advertiser Democrat that Bailey’s resignation was given verbally, without reason, as soon as the executive session closed and he abruptly left the meeting room.

“Before going into executive session Selectman Robert Ripley requested that (Bailey) abstain from the (personnel) vote, considering his relationship with the highway director,” Andrews said.

Bailey abstained as requested. Andrews did not comment on Bailey’s reason for abstaining from the vote.

The board scheduled an executive session hearing for Oct. 30, where Hutchinson will have the opportunity to rebut his suspension.

Monday’s development is one more dramatic turn in Paris politics, which has pitted citizens against the board and some municipal departments for most of this year.

On Sept. 9, Vice Chair Matthew Brackett tendered his resignation to Andrews via phone text and was effective Sept. 26.

In recent weeks, residents have focused on the highway department and Hutchinson during public comment segments of Select Board meetings, with some demanding he no longer serve as road commissioner.

Andrews said Hutchinson was suspended after the town received a lengthy notice from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection earlier this month about roadwork and paving done on Christian Ridge and Stock Farm roads.

Paris resident Troy Ripley had filed a formal complaint with DEP about erosion issues created from the paving done by highway department personnel.

“Based on the complaint, DEP did field studies of the location and provided opinions that the town needs to take several corrective measures to improve erosion and sediment controls,” Andrews said. “It will be an unanticipated expense and we will have to find the funds to cover it.”

The town manager could not speak to Hutchinson’s future with the highway department beyond Oct. 30. 

She has been named interim road commissioner. In his absence, highway Foreman Jesse Rowell is directing department operations.

Since Monday, Rowell and Andrews have inspected numerous town roads. She is also consulting with former Paris road commissioners to consider options to make the improvements DEP has outlined as necessary.

“It will be a board decision on how to move forward with the department’s management and the road commissioner role,” Andrews said. “(Hutchinson) has handled a lot of problems with our roads over the years, especially the extreme weather events washing them out. He has been a committed employee to the town of Paris.”

NO MEETING QUORUM

The future makeup of the Select Board was put on Oct. 27’s business meeting agenda.

Following Brackett’s resignation last month, the board was faced with whether to hold a special election to replace him.

Cronce and Ripley, elected to the board in June, thought that with two new selectmen in a learning curve it would be better for them to gain experience before another newcomer becomes responsible for managing town affairs.

Bailey, elected in 2022, and McElravy, elected in 2019, disagreed and made a motion to set a special election to replace Brackett. The vote was tied and failed, with Cronce and Ripley opposing.

When a second motion was made to defer replacing Brackett until the June 2026 regular election, that vote also tied and failed, with Bailey and McElravy opposing.

A quorum of at least three members is required to conduct town business.

Editor’s note: This story was updated Nov. 6 to clarify information provided by Town Manager Natalie Andrews about a Select Board vote.