Cup O’ Joe: Town meetings are more than just a time for business

Town meeting time is upon us once again. March is the most common month for municipalities in the state to hold their annual meetings to approve budgets and vote for leadership positions.
The town meeting process was established back in the 17th century as a time when an entire community came together to enact policies and budgets for their respective towns. In Maine, the first town meetings were called when it was still a district of Massachusetts.
    While discussing business is the first priority, town meetings are also something else. They are an opportunity for citizens to come together after a long winter and get reacquainted with old friends whom they might not have seen for some time.
On Saturday, residents of Island Falls gathered for their town meeting. After two-and-a-half hours of discussion, some of which became contentious at times, the group took a break to enjoy a hearty meal cooked up by the Island Falls Historical Society. The meal served as a fundraiser for the society and was a nice touch to break up what otherwise would have been a long session of voting on articles.
Once the group reconvened, with bellies full of food, another hour of voting ensued at a much livelier pace, according to first-year Town Manager Dave Dionne.
Island Falls town meeting reminded me of another marathon session I covered many years ago in the town of Washington in Knox County. That meeting began on a Saturday morning around 9 a.m., broke for lunch at noon and continued on well into the afternoon.
I don’t recall there being too many hot topics in the warrant articles. I do remember nearly an hour was spent discussing whether the following year’s town meeting should be held on Saturday morning or later in the evening. Some argued they worked during the day on Saturday and would prefer a later meeting. Seniors countered they preferred the morning sessions and would not attend if it was held later in the evening.
Such is the case with town meetings. You never quite know what you are in for until you go to them.
According to Wikipedia, the town of Camden was the first in the state to adopt a special charter creating the position of a town manager in 1927. From 1927-1939, 11 more towns adopted this format of government. Today, 135 municipalities have a town meeting-selectman-manager system for governing.
Speaking of town managers, Houlton lost a key member of its team last week, when Town Manager Doug Hazlett stepped down from his position to return to the private sector. Hazlett’s departure leaves a gaping hole in the municipality.
I only had the pleasure to work with Doug for about a year covering town council meetings. During that time, he was extremely professional and always willing to answer whatever questions I might have had. If he didn’t know the answer immediately, he would get back to me in no time at all.
Hazlett’s departure marks the second key town official to step down in a six-month time period. Last fall, Wade Hanson, the town’s economic and community development director, left his post for a similar job with the Houlton Band of Maliseets. Fortunately, the town was able to quickly replace Hanson with a suitable candidate.
Hopefully, the council will have the same good fortune when selecting its next town manager.
Joseph Cyr is a staff writer at the Houlton Pioneer Times. He can be reached at pioneertimes@nepublish.com or 532-2281.