Town Moderator Kirby Gilmore sat on the old wooden benches of the Rochester Town Hall and sighed.
He, along with several other town officials, waited for the appearance of the Rochester Board of Selectmen, who had estimated that their general meeting on May 10 would begin at 7:00 pm. At 7:10 pm, however, there was still no sign of the selectmen.
“I thought they opened the general meeting, then started the executive session,” Gilmore wondered. When he was told that yes, that is in fact how everyone else runs a selectman meeting, he laughed.
Around 7:15 pm, Chairman Naida Parker and Selectmen Bradford Morse and Richard Nunes arrived, interrupting a meeting of the Finance Committee who had commandeered the Town Hall’s meeting room while the selectmen were absent.
Parker quickly called the meeting to order, after shooing the other committee out. There were very few items on the agenda, and most of the selectmen were hoping for a quick run-through. They unanimously approved the minutes of the last meeting and flammable fluid permits to several town residents and local businesses such as Murphy’s Auto and the Rochester Golf Course.
Morse noted that David Watling had taken over the position as Veteran’s Grave Supervisor from David Helms, and this change was also unanimously approved.
Parker provided a brief update on the Future Generation Wind Farm in Rochester.
“We have some updates, but they aren’t ready for launch yet. They won’t be put online yet,” she said.
The only remaining business involved the town administrator position recently vacated by Michael McCue.
“I’d like to make a motion to appoint attorney Blair Bailey as acting town administrator while we search for a new appointee,” Morse announced. This motion was unanimously approved without question.
Morse cheerfully called for adjournment of the meeting, and the meeting was over just 15 minutes after it started.
The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen will take place on May 16 at 6:30 pm in the Rochester Town Hall.
By Andrea Ray