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Select Board permits posted‑road use for heavy equipment and grants additional paid leave after house fire
Summary
The Board approved limited use of posted Wharf and Kingdom roads for heavy equipment, granted an extra week of earned paid leave to an employee after a catastrophic house fire, and agreed to consult the assessor about a property revaluation.
The Town of Blue Hill Select Board on April 13 approved temporary waivers to posted‑road restrictions to allow heavy equipment movement related to town repairs and private employee assistance, and voted to grant an extra week of earned paid leave to a town employee who lost his home in a fire.
J. Wootten requested permission to use the posted Wharf Road for a single 55,000‑pound heavy vehicle to move a gangway to GSA for repair. After discussion of alternatives, the Board voted 4–0 to allow the use despite the road being posted. Later, B. Adams requested Select Board permission to use the (also posted) Kingdom Road to transport equipment to help tear down a town employee’s house damaged in a catastrophic fire; Adams said his crew would donate labor and equipment. S. Miller noted state law provides for waivers of posted‑road limitations, sometimes with a bond requirement; the Board voted 4–0 to permit Adams’ use of Kingdom Road without a bond.
On personnel assistance, A. Woog raised the possibility of cashing out earned paid leave (EPL) amounts to help a colleague. M. Lawson offered to donate 40 hours of his EPL to S. Gould, whose house burned. Rather than cashing out, S. Miller recommended flexibility and the Board voted 5–0 to grant S. Gould an additional week of EPL given the catastrophic loss of his house and possessions; the Board also thanked M. Lawson for raising the issue.
The Board also voted 5–0 to approve $250 for an eighth‑grade fundraiser and discussed re‑evaluating the Gould property tax assessment, with S. Miller suggesting the Town’s assessor’s agent, M. Caldwell, be consulted about how similar cases were handled elsewhere.
Why it matters: The road waivers enable necessary repair and aid work but could affect road wear; the Board documented reliance on state law for waiver authority and chose not to require bonds in this case. The extra week of paid leave provides immediate relief to an employee who suffered major loss.
What happens next: The Town will publish any required notices for the temporary road uses, the Treasurer/Clerk will record the paid‑leave adjustment, and the assessor’s agent will be consulted about any property valuation changes.
