Waterford appoints Anne Darling to Shellfish Commission and Flood board, corrects term dates

The Board of Selectmen on Jan. 20 appointed Anne Darling to the Waterford Shellfish Commission and separately to the Flood and Erosion Control Board, and approved an administrative fix to correct the commission’s term dates in town records.

Anne Darling introduced herself during public comment, saying, “I just want to thank you all for voting for me for uh zoning board of appeals alternate,” and noting her interest in serving on shellfish and erosion committees. Later in the meeting the board moved to nominate and fill the vacant shellfish commission seat formerly held by Ryan Healey; members debated whether to finalize term dates immediately or to ask the town clerk to verify the ordinance schedule. The motion was amended to set the member’s end date to the first Monday of January on the correct cycle to comply with the ordinance, and the appointment was approved by voice vote.

Members said the town directory and the ordinance did not match: the ordinance specifies a seven‑member shellfish commission with staggered four‑year terms, but the public directory listed a different membership count and incorrect term end dates. A commenter who identified herself as Sue had provided a spreadsheet to illustrate the discrepancies and recommended either changing an alternate to a full member or adjusting dates so all terms are staggered per the ordinance.

The board also approved Darling’s appointment to the Flood and Erosion Control Board to fill a vacant member term. Board members signaled they would coordinate with the town clerk to document the corrections and to reappoint or adjust other members at a future meeting so the official record matches the ordinance schedule.

The meeting record shows both appointments were carried by voice vote; the transcript records the affirmative responses but does not include a roll‑call tally. The board said it will bring back a consolidated list of term corrections at a later meeting and will note the change in minutes so future record systems reflect the ordinance-specified schedule.

Next steps: staff said the town clerk will review ordinance language and the board will address any remaining term corrections at a subsequent meeting.