Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – The new year got under way for City Council, with officials approving the appointments of a number of individuals to various positions representing the city. Councilors gathered at Jan. 7 at City Hall, holding their first meeting of 2008. Present for the session were: Council Chairman Walt Elish, Deputy Chairman Ed Nickerson, Calvin Hall, Jennifer Trombley, Ron McPherson, Don Gardner and G. Melvin Hovey. Also present for the session was City Manager Tom Stevens. Recording the meeting was City Clerk Nancy Nichols.
The following appointments were unanimously approved by Council: City Attorney – Phillips, Olore, Dunlavey & York, PA; City Clerk – Nancy G. Nichols; Building Inspector – Gerald McAvaddy; Housing Inspector – Gerald McAvaddy; Electrical Inspector – Gerald McAvaddy; Local Health Officer Assistant – Gerald McAvaddy; Plumbing Inspector – Gerald McAvaddy; Fire Inspector Darrell White; Local Health Officer – Naldo Gagnon; Civil Emergency Preparedness Director – George Howe; Deputy Emergency Preparedness Director – Gerald McAvaddy; Code Enforcement Officer – Gerald McAvaddy; and Deputy Code Enforcement Officer – George Howe.
Annual city manager appointments – department heads subject to City Council Confirmation – included: Airport Manager Scott Wardwell; Planning and Development Director Kenneth Arndt; Finance Director Priscilla Webb; Fire Chief Darrell White; Forum Director Jim Kaiser; Librarian Sonja Plummer-Morgan; Police Chief Naldo Gagnon; Public Works Director Gerry James; Recreation and Parks Director Chris Beaulieu; Resource Management Director LaNiece Winslow; and Solid Waste Director/City Engineer Dana Fowler.
City manager appointments that required no City Council action included: Animal Control Officer Daniel Corey; Police Officers – Wayne Selfridge, detective sergeant; William Scull, patrol detective; Mark Barnes, sergeant; Gilman “Eric” Erickson, sergeant; Laurie Kelly, sergeant; Joey Seeley, sergeant; William Campbell, drug enforcement agent; Roger Ellis; Larry Fickett; Lynn Hartley; Chris Hayes; Brian McQuarrie; Jeffrey Mechalko; Shawn Newell; Kevin Reed; Kevin Schumacher; and Robert Thibeault.
City manager appointments also included: Firefighters – Gerald Cousins, deputy chief; Adam Rider, deputy chief; Richard Wark, deputy chief; Nathan Allen; Vincent Baldwin; Kyle Bartley; Scott Cyr; B.J. Estey; Robert Jackson; Scott Michaud; Dale Morrison; Frederick Parsons; Tony Robichaud; Grant Spinney; and Brandon Greaves.
Appointments also included: General Assistance Administrator Terri Stubblefield; Handicap Project Coordinator Gerald McAvaddy; Tax Collector Deborah Ouellette; and Treasurer Priscilla Webb.
Lona LaFrancis was appointed assessor by the city manager, per ordinance.
The Council also approved the following:
• Re-appointment of Charles Namur to the Airport Advisory Committee for a four-year term, ending Dec. 31, 2011, representing airport/aviation;
• Re-appointment of Mark Hovey for a three-year term, ending Dec. 31, 2010, and Brian Colton and Jim Park as alternate members for one-year terms, ending Dec. 31, 2008, for the Board of Assessment and Review. Councilor Hovey abstained from the vote;
• The appointment of George Tompkins (representing the Northern Maine Fair Association) and Lucy Richard to the Forum Advisory Board for four-year terms, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Councilor Nickerson abstained from the vote;
• Re-appointment of Ward Gerow and Brent Andersen to the Planning Board for four-year terms, ending Dec. 31, 2011;
• Re-appointment of Linda Smith (Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce representative) for a three-year term, ending Dec. 31, 2010, to the Presque Isle Development Fund Board of Trustees;
• Re-affirmed Edwin Nickerson and Ron McPherson (as Council representatives) for a one-year term and Larry Clark (Presque Isle Industrial Council representative), Kenneth Arndt (Planning and Development Department representative) and Tom Stevens (ex-officio) as annual appointments to the Presque Isle Development Fund Board of Trustees;
• Re-appointed William Casavant and Judy Griffin for four-year terms, ending Dec. 31, 2011, to the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board;
• Re-appointment of Sharon Roix for a three-year term and Gail Vreeland, as alternate, for a three-year term (both ending Dec. 31, 2010), for the Registration Appeals Board;
• Appointed Zachary Smith for a three-year term, ending Dec. 31, 2010, to the Zoning Board of Appeals;
• Re-affirmed City Manager Tom Stevens as the city’s representative for the Maine Service Centers Coalition, therefore authorizing Stevens to vote at the Maine Service Centers Coalition business meetings. It was re-affirmed that the designated alternate is Dana Fowler, acting city manager in the manager’s absence;
• Appointed Councilors Elish, Hall, Nickerson and Gardner as members of the Finance Committee to sign warrants, with Councilors McPherson, Trombley and Hovey to serve as alternates;
• Re-appointed Councilor Nickerson to sign the payroll warrants on a weekly basis; and
• Appointed Planning and Development Director Kenneth Arndt and Councilor Nickerson to the Northern Maine Development Commission for a one-year term, ending Dec. 31, 2008.
For more information on City Council or upcoming sessions, contact 764-4485. Sessions are normally scheduled for the first and third Mondays of each month, beginning at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall. Sessions are held on alternate dates in the event of holidays or storm closures occurring on a designated Monday.
