Residents urge removal of two councilors amid Appointments Subcommittee dispute

Mayor Mike Bordes opened the meeting and read a council statement about actions by two members of the Appointments Subcommittee before the council took up a slate of board and commission nominations.

During the appointments portion of the meeting, Council voted individually on numerous candidates recommended by the Appointments Subcommittee. Council confirmed Nicole Arsenault as an alternate on the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Michael Little as an alternate on the Planning Board, and reappointed Ryan Cardella to the Weirs TIF District Advisory Board, Michael Argiropolis and Marie Bradley to library positions, Doreen Richards and Jacob Roy to the Planning Board, and Ethan Wood to the Trustees of the Trust Funds.

A motion to appoint Bruce Cheney as an alternate to the Planning Board became the meeting's focal dispute. Councilor Conant expressed concern that spouses serving on related boards could create conflicts of interest; Councilor Hildreth and Councilor Soucy apologized for outreach that had occurred during the interview process. The motion failed with no affirmative votes: one opposed, five abstentions.

Public comment later in the meeting included repeated calls from residents for the immediate removal of Councilors Hildreth and Soucy from the Appointments Subcommittee and, in some remarks, from the council entirely. For example, several speakers "asked for the immediate removal of Councilor Soucy and Councilor Hildreth" and one attendee described the situation as "disgusting" and urged resignations. The council did not remove either member during the meeting.

The council approved the remaining nominations by individual roll-call votes and noted the Council will revisit appointment practices going forward.