Will Edgecomb miss its chance for a cell phone tower at the fire station?

With no movement yet from the town, American Tower may seek to build the tower on one of the private sites it’s also eying in Edgecomb, Fire Chief Roy Potter said September 9.

The company has offered to pay the town $1,200 a month to lease space for the 100-foot-tall, steel tower on the station property. The tower might also help firefighters receive their pages, Potter has said.

The company has been calling him regularly, most recently Monday, Sept. 9, Potter said. “... He does have alternative sites and that's probably where he's going to go,” Potter said about a company official.

Selectmen got the initial offer about a month ago and gave it to town attorney William Dale to review. They have not heard back from him yet about it, selectmen said Monday night.

Following Potter's comments, the board decided to have the planning board determine if the tower would fit town rules if built at the station.

If possible, Selectman Jessica Chubbuck said she would like the tower there so the town could get the rent money.

Controversy stems from executive session

Edgecomb selectmen plan to consult attorney Dale after resident Jarryl Larson raised issues on Monday, Sept. 9 about a closed-door selectmen's discussion on July 29.

Larson asked for documents and other records on the executive session; she also called for “an open public discussion” about it. Planning Board Chairman Jack French also signed Larson's paperwork calling for that discussion.

French was at Monday's meeting but did not address selectmen about Larson's comments. In a telephone interview September 10, he said he hoped the requested discussion will “educate” selectmen on the separation of powers between the two boards.

“They don't have any control over the planning board. We're elected,” French said.

French made the same point in an August 5 letter to selectmen after Selectman Stuart Smith called him.

The two men disagree over the details of that telephone conversation. French states in the letter that Smith was calling to avoid sending him a letter of reprimand. “The purpose of his call was to 'warn me' against having private conversations or meetings with Planning Board applicants so that the Selectboard would not have to take further action against me,” French writes.

The letter goes on to state French is unaware of any law letting selectmen call an executive session to discuss another elected official's activities.

“... Not withstanding the Selectboard's opinion, the Planning Board or designated members will contact applicants as necessary ...,” French writes.

Selectman Stuart Smith said Tuesday that the executive session was on another matter, but that during it, he asked Dale about the board's rights and responsibilities. Based on the discussion that took place, Smith said he offered to call French.

Smith said he told French that French probably should not be having discussions with a developer without the rest of the board, and that if French had any questions about that, he could call Dale.

“It was kind of a courtesy call and I guess he took it the wrong way,” Smith said. “I'm befuddled by this ... No good deed goes unpunished.”

In August, selectmen received a proposed rewording of town rules on planning board members' election and appointment, and the planning board's powers and duties. The proposed changes came from the ordinance review committee and the planning board, French said. He did not initiate the proposal, he said.

Amending the ordinance would take a vote of Edgecomb residents. Citing Smith's absence Monday night, selectmen put off discussing the proposal.

The changes are consistent with the town's longstanding practice of electing planning board members, but the new language would make that and other aspects of the ordinance clearer, French said.

Susan Johns can be reached at 207-844-4633 or susanjohns@wiscassetnewspaper.com