Councilorsâ letter to lawmakers raises open-meeting issue
ELLSWORTH â A March 5 letter signed by all seven City Council members and sent to state Sen. Louie Luchini (D-Hancock County) and Rep. Nicole Grohoski (D-Ellsworth) may not have been in compliance with state right-to-know laws.
Emailed to the two legislators, with the subject line âUrgent Request,â the letter opens: âIt is important to state that this letter is being written from the point of view as citizens. Although we are elected officials of the City of Ellsworth, this letter was not constructed from that role.â
However, public officials declaring they are acting in a private capacity does not free them from the constraints of the Maine Freedom of Access Act (FOAA), which bars public boards and councils from holding public proceedings in private if a quorum â or a majority of members â is present.
Rainbow crosswalks group disbands after failing to reach consensus
ELLSWORTH An effort to paint crosswalks in rainbow colors in the city of Ellsworth has hit the wall.
A committee formed to study the issue was disbanded last week after two meetings after failing to reach agreement to move forward with a recommendation to the City Council. The City Council last August denied a request to rainbow-stripe several city crosswalks in support of the LGTBQ+ community because of safety concerns. Instead, the council formed the ad hoc committee to discuss the issue.
Ellsworth High School teacher Carrie Kutny, who oversees a student group that came up with the rainbow crosswalk idea, outlined Maine Department of Transportation crosswalk guidance, which allows municipalities to choose a fill-in pattern different from the traditional white zebra stripes.
City manager negotiations move forward
ELLSWORTH Negotiations to hire Interim City Manager Glenn Moshier in a dual role combining the police chief and city manager positions is moving forward, City Council Chairman Dale Hamilton said on Dec. 29.
“We’re still negotiating, there’s no final decision on how the position will be structured,” Hamilton said, noting there wasn’t “much in the way of new information.”
The new ad hoc group Citizens Acting for a Responsible Ellsworth would still like to hear more, calling for more transparency.
“The complaint is strictly over the process,” said group member Jon Stein, co-owner of Fogtown Brewing Co. and vice president of Heart of Ellsworth’s board of directors. “I think as a city manager [Moshier] would have great communication and move the city in the right direction.” But, he added, Moshier’s qualifications don’t necessarily match those of a city manager and the council “sidestepped” the application proces