PERU — Tempers boiled over and obscenities were shouted at Tuesday night’s selectmen meeting as townspeople and officials questioned how a moderator was chosen for a recall hearing Feb. 11.

That public meeting was held to discuss recalling all five selectmen. Dozens of residents, including Selectmen Ed Ferland and Richard Powell, walked out after independent moderator Terry Hayes of Buckfield told the audience the hearing “would not be a debate, or a cross-examination or a grilling.”

Townspeople argued Tuesday night that they had a right to speak at the hearing and it was illegal to not allow questions.

Before public participation began at Tuesday night’s meeting, Powell asked the board to explain “what exactly happened at the public hearing last week, in terms of the moderator.”

Chairman Tim Holland said, “Normally, it’d be me in charge of the public hearing, but whereas every selectman on the board is up for recall, I gave our town clerk, Vera (Parent), the charge of setting up a public hearing, on my authority. If I set up the meeting, I’d be at fault. If any one of you set it up, you’d be at fault. Vera was acting as a neutral person in setting up the meeting.”

Powell replied, “We’re all selectmen on this board.  No one person has more authority than the other.”

Powell turned to Parent and said, “You have five selectmen here. You could’ve let any one of us know about what you were doing instead of just one.”

Parent said she “tried to have a fair meeting” and “finding an independent moderator was the only way to do that. I was trying to do something for the betterment of the town, so everyone could be heard, and I was doing this with the best of intentions.”

Holland added that during a previous meeting, when Selectman Kathy Hussey asked the board what the format for the public hearing would be, nobody responded.

“Nobody stepped up and said anything about how the hearing should be run, so Vera ran with it,” Holland said.

Ferland said, “Vera, I asked you who asked the moderator to come in. You told me it was you, and I told you a dozen times, ‘You can’t do that.’ That night, you had the biggest smile on your face after we left. You said you’re doing what’s best for the town, but I don’t believe you.”

“Well, I’m sorry you feel that way,” Parent said.

Holland jumped in, saying, “I’m not going to sit here and listen to you badger Vera anymore. The hearing was done in the fairest way it could’ve been done.”

Powell replied, “You’re running away with the rules here, Tim.”

During the public participation time at the meeting, residents grew frustrated as they expressed their concerns to the board. At one point, after the meeting had been adjourned, a resident who did not give her name but was identified by others as Valerie Gurney approached Hussey and shouted obscenities at her.

Several residents, including the selectmen, asked Gurney to leave.

Earlier in the meeting, a resident told Holland, “As far as I’m concerned, all of this started on April 9th after you proposed an inadequate ordinance.”

Holland replied, “I’m not even going to respond to that,” to which Gurney yelled, “What kind of selectman are you that you won’t respond to the people’s questions?”

Gurney later asked the board why a recently advertised dog-catcher position went to an individual from out of town instead of somebody from Peru.

“Qualifications,” Holland replied.

Another resident said, “I thought that the two selectmen who left early during last week’s public hearing showed they didn’t have care for the people who showed up that night,” before admonishing “whoever it was that gave the rude gesture to the audience as he left.”

Tempers continued to rise and voices grew louder before Holland closed public participation and made a motion to adjourn.

“This meeting has gotten out of hand and gone completely over our heads,” he said.

A town vote on recalling Ferland, Powell, Hussey, Holland and Laurieann Milligan is scheduled for March 4.

The petitions to remove selectmen began after Hussey refused to leave her board position or her position as town secretary.

Before that, voters passed an ordinance saying town employees could not hold positions on the Board of Selectmen or Finance Committee simultaneously. However, the Maine Municipal Association advised selectmen that Hussey could finish her term.

Tammy Ferland, wife of Selectman Ed Ferland, spearheaded the petitions to recall Hussey and Milligan, citing their failure to represent the will of the voters or to abide by the ordinance or town personnel policy.

Hussey helped circulate the petitions to recall Ferland and Powell. The paperwork was submitted to the board by Holland. It says the two have failed to carry out their duties and responsibilities, and their actions have brought the board into disrepute.

Resident Warren Oldham submitted the petition against Holland, saying he believes he has abused his power as chairman and failed to represent the will of voters.

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