Wayne select board consolidates finance roles, approves warrants and payroll; tables one liquor license renewal

The Town of Wayne Select Board voted Tuesday to consolidate the offices of tax collector, treasurer and bookkeeper into a single administrative position and approved the town's accounts payable and payroll warrants. The board also approved a liquor license renewal for Green Indoor Golf and tabled a renewal application from Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp pending additional documentation.

The consolidation motion—"that we consolidate in our general administrative functions the positions of tax collector, bookkeeper, treasurer into one position"—was made during the meeting and carried after a second and an "all in favor" vote. The board did not specify a job title or salary for the new position; members said those details will be decided later and that some further discussion is needed.

Why it matters: combining fiscal roles raises questions about internal controls, oversight and the term of appointment; board members discussed whether the town manager should exercise oversight and whether the appointment should be annual or for multiple years.

Other formal actions taken Tuesday included approval of an accounts payable warrant and a payroll warrant. The board moved to approve accounts payable number 42 in the amount of $270,719.69 and payroll number 41 in the amount of $10,413.37; both motions were seconded and approved by the board.

On liquor licensing, the board opened and closed a public hearing on a renewal for Green Indoor Golf and approved that license. A separate public hearing was held for Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp's liquor license renewal; board members raised concerns that the state application packet did not include a premises floor plan and that the application did not clearly state whether on-premises service was proposed. The board voted to table action on the Yogi Bear application and reconvene the public hearing at the next regular meeting so the town can obtain missing documentation and further clarify the scope of service.

A separate procedural motion to enter executive session under 1 M.R.S.A. 405(6)(A) was made and passed earlier in the meeting; no votes or actions were taken publically while in executive session.

The board scheduled a set of ordinance public-input sessions for April 1, which will include the treasurer ordinance and parks and public lands ordinances (see separate articles). The board also discussed contract timing for the town's road plowing arrangements and directed staff to prepare proposed contract amendments and to consult with the contractor about timing and notice provisions.

Votes at a glance - Consolidate tax collector, treasurer and bookkeeping into one position: motion made and carried; mover/second not specified in the transcript; outcome: approved. - Accounts payable (Warrant 42): $270,719.69 approved; mover/second not specified; outcome: approved. - Payroll (Warrant 41): $10,413.37 approved; mover/second not specified; outcome: approved. - Green Indoor Golf liquor license renewal: approved after public hearing; mover/second not specified; outcome: approved. - Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp liquor license renewal: public hearing held; board tabled action pending additional documents and reconvened hearing at next meeting (April 1); outcome: tabled.

Ending note: Several items discussed at the meeting were scheduled for further public input April 1; the board asked staff to gather missing documentation where needed and to consult outside organizations (for example the Maine Municipal Association) on legal questions about firearms and local regulatory authority.