CHESTERVILLE — Selectmen formally voted Tuesday morning to hire New Sharon Town Clerk Pamela Griswold as interim town clerk, tax collector and Freedom of Access officer, allowing the Town Office to reopen this week.

Griswold will serve the remainder of Heather Wheeler’s term, which ends in March. 

Griswold’s hours will be 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays; and 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays.

The Town Office will reopen Thursday, a week after it closed when Wheeler verbally resigned and handed in her keys. Representatives of the Maine Department of Motor Vehicles removed all materials related to vehicle registrations from the office that afternoon.

Selectman Tiffany Estabrook picked up registration plates and stickers from the Department of Motor Vehicles on Tuesday, according to board Chairman Guy Iverson on Tuesday night.

Selectmen learned Tuesday that Wheeler, who never told them she was quitting, emailed the state agency Jan. 17 to announce her plans to resign on Jan. 20.

Former Selectman Scott Gray said he obtained the information Monday afternoon from a Freedom of Access request.

An email was sent from DMV auditor Sue McCormick to DMV municipal coordinator Wendy King at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, regarding Wheeler stepping down. The email was also sent to six others at the DMV.

McCormick’s email said Wheeler contacted her because they had met before. “Heather said she would be leaving employment with the town on Thursday. She will not be telling the selectmen that she’s leaving. They will know when she does not show up for work . . .

“. . . Olive Couture, is willing to accept the appointment to replace her but is not comfortable processing new registration transactions,” the email said. “I have been asked to go out there Thursday at noon to verify and collect inventory.”

“The state knew on Tuesday and never said anything,” Gray told selectmen Tuesday. “A lot of people are upset.”

Board Chairman Guy Iverson praised Estabrook for her leadership in getting a clerk and getting the office reopened as quickly as possible.

“Tiffany has taken the ball on this,” he said. “She contacted the town of New Sharon and secured Griswold’s help. She is hardworking, energetic and completes tasks given her, often going above and beyond. She’s a wonderful selectman.”

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