HALIFAX — The changing of the guard continued at the April 12 regular meeting of the Planning Commission, with a welcome to two new members and a resignation from one of the incumbents.
Citing family and work obligations and a sense of fatigue after 12 years of service, Brian McNeice announced at the meeting's close that he was stepping down, effective immediately.
His term was set to expire in 2017.
The meeting began with Turner Lewis and Kaitlin Stone being welcomed onto the board, after the two were appointed to three-year terms at the April 5 Selectboard meeting [story, this issue].
During the meeting, Chair Sirean LaFlamme reminded her colleagues that she is now living and operating a business in Readsboro, but she said she will continue to have a foothold in Halifax until her house sells. She had previously noted that she'll serve until the natural expiration of her term next year.
Meanwhile, commission member Robbin Gabriel noted that Peggy Rafus and Kattie Russ (a newly elected lister) had expressed interest in the job of Planning Commission secretary.
The job has been posted since at least mid-December.
Gabriel, a lister and the Selectboard administrator, has been filling in for a long while in an interim capacity. She noted her desire to be “better at” semi-retirement.
LaFlamme said she had invited both applicants to attend the meeting to “listen, observe and ask questions,” but no further discussion of the hiring process took place.
She also advised the board that there are approximately five people interested in the job of zoning administrator, following Rick Gay's announcement last month that he was stepping down.
At the last meeting, the commission interviewed Ray White (who expressed his willingness to serve if there were no other qualified candidates) and discussed a letter of interest from Dan Menerey.
Outgoing member Linda Lyon had suggested that the commission draft and post a job description in the hopes of having a wider field from which it could make its pick.
That decision had yielded results.
New appointee Lewis suggested that they interview each candidate individually, which LaFlamme and commission member Bill Pusey dismissed as potentially violating the open meeting laws.
Gabriel suggested that the commission could interview candidates in a public meeting but go into executive session to discuss the merits of each. There was a general agreement with that approach.