CHESTERVILLE — Selectmen Matt Welch and board Chairman Guy Iverson held an emergency meeting Friday afternoon to sign the payroll for employees, after being advised by a Maine Municipal Association attorney to do so.
At least three selectmen are necessary to conduct a legal meeting or take official action, but Selectman Paul Caldwell did not attend Thursday night’s meeting or the emergency meeting on Friday.
The board is down to three members after the resignations of Anne Lambert and David Archer on Sept. 15. An election to fill their positions is set for Nov. 8.
Iverson said MMA attorney Becky Seel advised him to post a public notice of the emergency meeting as soon as possible. The notice listed four items of business: payroll, junkyard permits, warrant for the Nov. 8 elections and municipal valuations.
Iverson said selectmen had previously paid employees with only two members of the board present after getting opinions of residents in attendance. He said Seel told him a poll of that nature is not legal.
Iverson said Seel advised, however, that employees must be paid, so Iverson and Welch signed the payroll warrant.
Iverson said he was told the junkyard permits could wait until after the elections, even though the permits expire October 31.
The valuations had been completed by the assessor, so no further action was needed, he said.
Iverson said it was discovered that the date for the Nov. 8 elections was left off the original notices posted for the public, but the town has documentation showing the intent to hold them Nov. 8.
Iverson and Welch voted to write Nov. 8 on the notices and repost them.
Iverson said Seel told him if Caldwell had resigned, the two remaining selectmen could call meetings and take needed actions. If he doesn’t resign, the board needs three members at meetings to function.
Welch said the town needs to use the town attorney more.
Iverson agreed and said more money needs to be put into the legal services account.
“There are a lot of legal questions that are bigger than us,” Iverson said.
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