Rather than limiting public comment, Boothbay Harbor selectmen are now considering limiting what topics can be discussed at certain times during their meeting. They would also have a single, short public forum for open comment at the end of their meeting. This new meeting structure would, in fact, give residents more opportunities to speak than they currently have, selectmen said.

The August 12 selectmen's meeting opened to a packed house, with many residents in attendance to share their views on the town changing rules for public comment.

Selectman Jay Warren said he had received many phone calls regarding public comment in Boothbay Harbor, and said the selectmen had an obligation to listen to all people of the town.

“This is America. Americans speak out. If any taxpayer has something to say, we have an obligation to listen to them,” Warren said.

Vice Chairman Robert Splaine suggested that questions brought before the board in the open public forum should be placed on the agenda at the next meeting, so the selectmen had time to make sure they had an accurate answer and had time to do any necessary research.

“Anyone who takes the trouble to come to the meeting with something to say should be allowed to speak,” Selectmen Russ Hoffman said. “We should draft guidelines for public forums to keep them fair.”

“We should have one public forum, with a limited amount of time to speak,” Selectmen Denise Griffin said. “If something needs a lot of debate it should be placed on the agenda.”

Board Chairman Bill Hamblen had done some research on the way other Maine towns ran their meetings. Many towns had no specific public forum, and instead opened the floor up for public comment after each agenda item, with comment only allowed on that one specific item, before the selectmen voted.

The selectmen generally liked this idea of running the meeting. Griffin requested a chance to look over the exact wording and think about the decision before they took a vote on it. Warren agreed, and the motion was tabled until the next meeting on Monday, Aug. 26.

The public voiced general approval of this new idea for running meetings, as it would give them a chance to voice their opinions directly before votes were taken, and several members of the audience voiced their support of the idea. Elbridge Giles asked the board what their ideal “end time” would be for their meetings, since much of this discussion had stemmed from the fact that sometimes meetings ran long.

“We should be able to leave by 9 p.m.,” Hoffman said.

Former Selectman Linc Sample then stood up. “The meeting should not have an ending time,” he said. “When I was a selectmen I sat and listened to some of the most inane conversations ever, but I listened to people who wanted to have their say.

“We have freedom of speech and need to respect it.”

Bids on town-acquired property

After an extended executive session, the board accepted two bids on town-acquired property. These included a bid of $31,000 by Diane Casey for the property located at 36 Fullerton Street, and $41,600 by Douglas Carter for the property at 10082 Lobster Cove Road.

The third property, located on High Ledge, had not been decided yet due to a slight clerical error with the bids. The selectmen will reconsider bids soon.

Katrina Clark can be reached at 207-633-4620 or katrinaclark@boothbayregister.com. Follow her on Twitter: @BBRegisterClark or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BBRegisterKatrinaClark.