Board hits "pause" on taping meetings, Cole censure

Selectmen Chairwoman Karen Gerrish and Selectman Ben Thompson listen to residents' concerns over delays in the expected censure of Selectman Jason Cole over Facebook comments. Below, one of the comments and the Rescue Dept. rules (Harrison Thorp photo)

LEBANON - Selectmen faced another grilling from the Gilpatricks last night regarding disparaging and slanderous remarks made against their family mowing business by Selectman Jason Cole, but without Cole’s presence at the meeting, the board put off any action.

In another bombshell, the board advised that Referendum Question 1, which would require the videotaping of most town government meetings, did not contain the “raising and appropriating” clause necessary to implement it swiftly and legally, drawing a quick response from town residents.

Selectmen Chairwoman Karen Gerrish said the board was in favor of the measure, but the Maine Municipal Association had advised in a legal opinion that the wording was flawed and didn’t give town officials authority to spend taxpayer money.

“We saw the vote, know the pulse of the town, but the money wasn’t specified strictly enough as far as being appropriated,” Gerrish said.

Options including Metrocast broadcast were discussed and Gerrish and newly installed Selectman Ben Thompson said they were both in favor of the videotaping, but “wanted to do it right,” prompting resident Glen Stadig to vent voter frustration over the inertia.

“People want to see it now,” he said. “In the past money has been spent from the contingency fund of the town for other expense that the town comes across. To postpone it is holding things up … you’re not serving the people’s needs.”

“Funding isn’t my only issue. Who’s coming in to do it (the video taping)?” Gerrish asked. ”I want all those answers.”

“I’m hearing ways to avoid it,” fumed Stadig.

Resident Rosie Stadig then asked the board, “Didn’t Alan (Town Attorney Alan Shepard) look at the ballot to see it’s not legal?”

Gerrish said she wasn’t sure.

“Are you going to throw it out cause it wasn’t worded correctly?” asked an emotional Corinna Cole, who led the effort to put the videotaping referendum on the ballot.

Gerrish vowed no, adding, “It’s on our radar.”

The new selectmen chairwoman found herself on the defensive again regarding the possible censure of Selectman Jason Cole over Facebook comments last month in which he accused Gilpatrick Property Service of “fleecing” the town in connection with their mowing contract for a town cemetery.

She pleaded with Chris Gilpatrick Sr. and his son, Chris Gilpatrick Jr., to give her and the board time and the issue would be addressed.

“We’ve had the cause and now we need to see the effect,” Gilpatrick Jr. demanded. “What is holding this process up?”

Gerrish explained that she had a process in mind, but that it couldn’t go forward until selectmen meet with the rescue chief, Samantha Cole, and her husband, Assistant Rescue Chief Jason Cole, who made the slanderous comments on The Lebanon Voice Facebook page under a story recapping Lebanon’s Memorial Day exercises.

Cole made the comments under his personal Facebook account, but the Rescue Department handbook specifically prohibits their members from using social media, “to slander or defame other people.”

Gilpatrick Sr. noted that a Rescue volunteer recently had been suspended prior to an investigation for violating social media policy, so why shouldn’t Cole be suspended now.

Gilpatrick Sr., at a selectmen’s workshop on June 3, had demanded Cole’s resignation over the attack. He noted that if someone read and believed the slanderous comments, it could cost his company money and put its employees at risk of losing their jobs.

Gerrish and former selectman Robert Frizzell, in response to the Facebook comments by Cole, said earlier, in fact, the town was happy with the Gilpatricks’ work at the cemetery.

At the meeting on June 3, Gerrish and Frizzell scheduled a meeting for June 10 to discuss the matter with Cole, but scheduling conflicts caused its cancellation.

Gerrish last night said the rescue chief had to be at the meeting and they hadn’t been able to arrange one yet.

She said as soon as she is able to schedule a meeting when they all can meet, an executive session format would be used to discuss all aspects of the incident.

Resident Becky Batchelder also brought a letter from her mother, Judy Batchelder, complaining that she had been deleted by Cole from the Lebanon Community News, the town’s old Facebook Page now run by Cole, and that the assistant rescue chief and selectman had “distorted her comments” on the social media page as well. Cole has told The Lebanon Voice other people serve as administrators of the page, but has not revealed their identities.

Gerrish said it was not a town site, so there’s no way to control it. She reminded meetinggoers that with the departure of Frizzell as selectman “there had just been a changing of the guard” and the issue will be addressed.

Gerrish, who was voted chairwoman of the selectmen by her colleagues after the recent election, also announced that the board had ordered the payment by Rescue of their estimated insurance cost of $6,742 for fiscal year 2012-2013 be transferred from the Rescue account into the general fund.

In other news:

*** It was announced that all employees, including selectmen, will be required to submit biweekly pay slips effective immediately.

*** The term workshop will be abolished and all selectmen meetings will have agendas as well as minutes posted to the town website.

*** There will be a meeting next Thursday, June 27, to discuss the New Bridge Road Bridge at 3 p.m. at Milton Town offices.