Tremont Select Board approves police contract, road repairs and committee appointments

The Tremont Select Board on Monday, June 17, 2024, approved a contract for police services with the Town of Southwest Harbor, authorized repairs to Cape Road and Steamboat Wharf Road, awarded the 2024–25 salt bid and made a slate of committee appointments at a meeting in the Harvey Kelley Meeting Room at the Tremont Town Office.

The actions, taken mainly by unanimous votes or unanimous consent on routine agenda items, advance near-term road repairs and intermunicipal public-safety coverage and fill advisory-board vacancies ahead of summer municipal work. The board also entered an executive session to discuss personnel matters and closed it without any recorded motions or public action.

Town Manager Jesse Dunbar and Southwest Harbor Police Chief John Hall presented the draft police-services contract and asked the board to review it. Vice Chair McKenzie Jewett moved and Select Board member Kevin Buck seconded a motion to sign the contract; the motion passed unanimously.

On local roads, Select Board member Eric Eaton moved and Vice Chair McKenzie Jewett seconded authorization to hire Doug Gott & Sons to perform ditching and repairs on Cape Road at the quoted price; that motion passed unanimously. For Steamboat Wharf Road, Select Board member Kevin Buck moved and Select Board member Eric Eaton seconded a motion authorizing the town manager to hire a contractor for a temporary repair within the manager's spending authority, using funds from the Road Improvement Reserve; the motion passed unanimously.

On procurement, Select Board member Kevin Buck moved and Select Board member Eric Eaton seconded awarding the FY25 salt bid to New England Salt at $76.00 per ton; the motion passed unanimously.

The board confirmed appointments to multiple town committees: Vice Chair McKenzie Jewett moved (and the board seconded) appointments of Josh Lawson and Steve Carter to the Harbor Committee commercial-fisherman seats (terms expiring June 30, 2027); Martha Donovan, Katherine Pratt and Rick Smith to the Library Board of Trustees (terms expiring June 30, 2024); Brett Witham and Renee Hodgdon to the Planning Board (terms expiring June 30, 2027); Marcia Madeira and Patricia Pinkham to the Board of Appeals (terms expiring June 30, 2027); and appointments to the Sustainability Committee including Elaine Eaton and Lawson Wulson to at-large seats and Select Board member Kevin Buck as the board representative (terms expiring June 30, 2027). Rick Smith was also appointed to an at-large seat on the Sustainability Committee. All appointment motions passed unanimously.

The board approved FY24 warrants (listed in the minutes as #114 for $14,007.79; #115 for $8,888.84; #116 for $13,141.23; #117 for $28,626.07; #118 for $1,237.00; #119 for $13,877.35; and #120 for $132,387.91) on a motion by Select Board member Eric Eaton, seconded by Vice Chair McKenzie Jewett; that motion passed unanimously. Approval of the June 3, 2024 minutes was moved by Select Board member Kevin Buck and seconded by Vice Chair McKenzie Jewett and recorded as passing 3–0–1 with Select Board member Eric Eaton abstaining.

Town Manager Jesse Dunbar delivered a verbal report on employee activities since the last meeting; no formal action was recorded. The board confirmed the next regular meeting for Monday, July 1, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. in the Town Office.

Select Board member Kevin Buck moved and Vice Chair McKenzie Jewett seconded that the board find public discussion of certain personnel matters could harm reputations or privacy and enter executive session under 1 MRSA 405.6.A. The board entered executive session at 5:37 p.m. and closed it at 5:54 p.m.; the minutes record that no motions were made while in executive session. The meeting adjourned at 5:54 p.m.

Details reported here reflect items and motions recorded in the meeting minutes; the minutes do not include verbatim quotes or contract dollar amounts beyond the FY25 salt bid price.