Selectmen comment on 'refusing to answer' issues in advance of public hearing

Selectmen Chair Karen Gerrish

Selectman Ben Thompson

LEBANON - Selectmen gave slightly different answers to The Lebanon Voice on Monday when asked if board members would continue to have the option of refusing to answer questions asked by residents at next Monday’s Town Hearing on the Ballot.

Selectmen Chair Karen Gerrish, in an email sent in reply to The Lebanon Voice query, said, “I’m not sure ... I imagine ... however I know Senator (Richard) Nass will explain the rules to everyone as he is using Maine Moderator rulesguidelines to run (the) meeting.”

Selectman Ben Thompson replied that with the exception of questions that would involve elements of an executive session, all questions would likely be answered.

“Of course that option (to refuse to answer) will be retained with any items that would fall under the explanations of executive session,” Thompson said. “These items would include personnel, legal issues, private documentation, etc. Although much preparation is ongoing to be as familiar with all the topics as possible, questions may be asked to which we do not have the answer at that time. With all of this said, I do not foresee any outright refusal to answer questions.”

However, former town attorney Alan Shepard, who for many years served as moderator at Town Hearing, always began the meeting with the caveat that selectmen could not be compelled to answer any question asked by a resident, a practice over which many openly fumed.

Selectmen took advantage of the practice in 2012 when the board refused to answer a resident’s request to explain how selectmen had arrived at what some saw as an inflated $93,000 salary for a town manager position that had been approved by town voters in 2010.

When former selectmen Bob Frizzell and Ronal Patch, as well as now-Selectmen Chair Karen Gerrish said nothing, Shepard moved swiftly to the next question leaving the resident’s question unanswered.

Later, in the same meeting, selectmen refused to answer why they hadn’t voted on a resolution that would’ve made Laverne Lane a town road. They said they hadn’t voted on the resolution because it didn’t involve town money. But when a resident countered that it did cost money as the town would now have to plow and pave the road and asked them to explain their reasoning, again Frizzell, Patch and Gerrish said nothing, and again Shepard moved on to the next question without comment.

Nass, meanwhile, brings considerable experience to the moderator position, having served as such at several Acton town and school meetings. He also served in the state Senate for eight years.

He was unavailable for comment on this story.

Selectman Paul Philbrick, who just joined the board in March, did not reply to The Lebanon Voice email.

The Town Hearing on the Ballot begins at 7 p.m. at the Lebanon Elementary School.