The Boothbay Selectmen voted on March 28 to agree to a complex, far-reaching settlement proposal written by the town attorney and CMBG’s lawyers in order to make CMBG’s expensive lawsuits go away. In doing so, the selectmen:

• Refused to share with the public the reasons for the settlement.
• Neglected to provide reasonable public access to the 11-page legal document. Notification was minimal, there was no online access, and residents had to go to the town office to see it. Very few people did. Printed copies were only available at the meeting.
• Neglected to provide sufficient time for public consideration. Whether a Boothbay resident supports or opposes this document, they could not have properly assessed it in the time allotted. It took weeks to write it, and it deserves weeks, not hours, of discussion by the entire community. Important concerns include water supply protection and the science of eutrophic lakes, polluted run-off aimed at my family’s well and a flawed stormwater monitoring plan, the scope of CMBG’s construction permits and their fictional land-use determination, and the vague language of an incomplete conservation easement. The lack of meaningful public consideration of these and other topics served only the interests of CMBG.
• Gave no public indication that they understood the details of the agreement or their consequences. Only the attorney spoke about it publicly.
• Repeatedly but falsely promised, through their attorney, to respond to all questions, suggested amendments, and concerns raised during the public comment period. Instead, after listening silently to a few hours of comments, they talked for a few minutes on two minor issues. They left unanswered at least ten serious amendment proposals, a few dozen questions, and many ethical queries. On the cusp of the vote, one surprised selectman asked whether they had a bunch of questions to answer first. His question, like all of ours, was met with a shrug.
• Expressed no concern that they were making a decision about water quality for towns they do not represent: Boothbay Harbor and Southport.
• (To be continued…) This letter has been split because of length limitations on letters to the editor. Stay tuned for Part 2…

Jason Anthony

Bristol