Poland – Selectmen this week delayed for the second time ratifying a recent special town meeting vote. Ratification would clear up a conflict of interest issue involving a selectman.
According to a memo from town attorney Curtis Webber, at least 10 residents must challenge the vote within 30 days for an appeal to be valid. However, selectmen were not sure whether the 30-day window began with the signing of the warrant or with the Jan. 6 special town meeting. Selectmen are seeking clarification from Webber.
Chairman Glenn Peterson said that if no challenges are made by Monday, the issue becomes irrelevant. The board tabled the matter until its next meeting Feb. 15.
“If there are no citizens who object, then everyone will be happy, and they’ll get on with their lives,” Peterson said.
The Jan. 6 town meeting vote, which appeared to be close, passed on a show of hands. No one called for a recount or a ballot vote during the meeting.
The conflict of interest is that Selectman Bud Jordan, who will personally benefit from the zoning change, voted with other selectmen in December to approve a town warrant on the issue.
Jordan has disclosed his property ownership and his intent to sell lots since requesting the change more than a year ago. He acknowledged his error in voting on the warrant during the board’s Jan. 25 meeting. At the time of Jordan’s original request, he was not a selectman.
The Jan. 6 town meeting vote allows approximately 80 acres of Jordan’s property to revert to its original zoning, which was mistakenly changed by the Planning Board about a year and a half ago.
Jordan’s property along Route 11 carried the Village zoning, which requires 2-acre minimum lots, until the Planning Board mistakenly included it in an adjacent Farm and Forest zone, which requires 5-acre lots. Jordan then requested a zone change, which required a public hearing and town meeting approval by voters.
Jordan announced this week that he has sought personal legal advice and intends to sell his property in 2-acre parcels regardless of board action.
An attempt to correct the conflict of interest error with a legal resolution failed on Jan. 25 when Peterson and Selectman Wendy Sanborn opposed. Sanborn had opposed the warrant in December and voted against the rezoning request at the town meeting.
However, Peterson had voted in favor of the warrant in December. Since then, Peterson has declared that all legal remedies and procedures should be properly followed before he will agree to ratify the town vote.
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