Orrington selectmen hear feedback, create board to find town manager

ORRINGTON – After a lengthy public discussion about the selectmen’s decision last week to let nine-year veteran Town Manager Dexter Johnson go, the panel created a 5-member search committee to review candidates to fill the open position.

Most of the residents who spoke out Monday during the special selectmen’s meeting were upset with how the board notified Johnson that his annual contract would not be renewed.

Selectmen held several executive sessions to discuss Johnson’s contract and didn’t include him, and after the fourth executive session, held Sept. 12, voted not to renew his contract.

One resident demanded an explanation, others wanted rumors that a selectman wanted Johnson’s job answered and another said he was ashamed with the selectmen’s actions.

“I just don’t understand how all of a sudden he’s not good enough,” resident Margaret Parker said.

Town leaders could not answer many of the questions because state laws restrict them from discussing personnel issues, town attorney Edmond Bearor told the gathering.

Johnson thanked the residents at the meeting who were there to support him, but added he’s ready to move on and would like residents to do the same.

“Town managers come and go,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed my stay here. I’m not bitter about the decision. I’m saddened about the process.”

Later he added: “I’m not satisfied with the answers [from selectmen] but I’m not interested in coming back. I couldn’t work for this board after this. Don’t tear the town up over this.”

The town manager search committee includes one selectman, who will serve as the chairman, four residents and one alternate member.

“You can expect a meeting within a couple of days,” Selectman John Hannington, who was named committee chairman during the meeting, told committee members after the meeting.

Alan Baker, R. Trevett Hooper, Ted Kimball and David Levine were appointed as regular search committee members and Margaret Parker was named as an alternate.

During a special town meeting, held Monday before the special selectmen’s meeting, residents endorsed:

. Purchasing a backhoe/loader with $39,999 from the vehicle reserve account and $10,000 set aside in the 2005-06 budget to lease a backhoe/loader for the year.

. Amending the town’s sewer ordinance to add sewer connection and impact fees. The sewer connection fees are $200 per lot for any new developments, multiplied by the number of years since the sewer line was installed. The line was installed at the end of December 2002. The connection fee also requires the developer of any new lots to pay a percentage of the $12,048 annual debt service for the sewer line, which was installed at a cost of $193,000 to the town. The new impact fees allow the town to assess any capital improvement costs associated specifically with a development to the developer. “Example improvements might include the upgrade of sewer, pumping stations or treatment processes to accommodate the wastewater capacity needs of the new development,” the article states.