July 9, Community School District (CSD) trustees floated getting legal counsel for general representation, following an exploratory search by Chair Sewall Maddocks.  

However, before this, Maddocks brought up an executive session agenda item regarding potential unauthorized negotiations and entering into an agreement on behalf of the board without authorization. Maddocks said he wanted to have a public discussion, not an executive session.  

"If this is something that would normally be required in executive session, there are legal reasons for that. I don't think we should bypass those legal reasons because once we do, we can’t go back. And if it would leave anybody in this group liable or in any way risky, I believe we should use executive session for what it's meant for," said Vice Chair Paul Roberts.

After discussion, the board went into an executive session since a different, contract-related issue needed addressing. In a post-meeting interview, Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 Superintendent Robert Kahler said that, while he could not speak on what occurred in the session, one topic was clarification. He explained, "The board had not authorized hiring another attorney, so that's what we needed to sort out."

The Register reached out to Maddocks for comment. He had nothing to add.

The board's discussion then turned to potentially hiring Steve Smith Trial Lawyers. Ronnie Campbell and Steve Lorrain, who were part of the initial consultation Zoom call, said the firm left them with good impressions.  

Troy Lewis said tprior representation was well-versed in school matters, but less helpful when the board had questions about building contract negotiations or bids. Roberts brought up the need for procedures to ensure the lawyer's point of contact has board approval before reaching out, as consultation fees can quickly add up.  

Trustees unanimously authorized Maddocks and Campbell to get more references on the firm and bring their findings to the board. 

Trustees also unanimously voted to have one of their twice-monthly meetings dedicated to business, policy and financials, while the other was building-focused. The reason was that having dedicated meeting topics narrows the breadth of conversation and makes it easier to know when to invite architects or other construction personnel to update the board.  

In other business, the concession stand will be moving from the Boothbay Region High School (BRHS) stage. This is because the current set-up does not meet safety regulations due to the number of people on the stage and cooking materials being near flammable objects, among other reasons.

Until around 2020, concessions had been in the downstairs lunchroom, according to BRHS Principal Tricia Campbell. Attendee Lori Perkins said one reason for the move was to incentivize people reluctant to miss the game to volunteer, as the court is viewable from the stage. A new concession location is being discussed.  

Director of Technology Abby Manahan reported cables will be going into BRHS for the school's network upgrade. However, an unexpected essential add-on upped the project cost by $17,160. This is partly due to replacing cabling that did not accommodate the upgrade. The school explored patching and reusing old wires, but this would mean they did not fall under the installer's warranty.  

Without a warranty, any replacement would cost more. Manahan explained it would be cheaper in the long run to replace the cables. Kahler said that since this project falls under school safety, monies from the CSD's $1.6 million repair bond can be used in addition to regular CSD budget sources.  

Manahan also gave an update on the schools’ telephones. All the analog lines have been replaced with digital. Partial work is done replacing classroom phones at BRES, and BRHS should be done by the end of August.

Director of Facilities David Benner will be bringing recommendations to the board on updating the CSD's Facility Use Agreement. The document was last reviewed in 2006, and overtime pay needs to be adjusted. Due to safety concerns, trustees gave Benner approval to remove a cluster of oak trees next to the baseball field's first base.  

Dirigo Architect and Engineering was hired as the on-site manager for BRES's renovation project. Ahead of the fall bidding schedule, Kahler and Matt Doucette will be reexamining the pros and cons of using Maine Municipal Bond Bank versus other banks.