Deadlocked town council loses planning board chair

FORT KENT - On Monday night, August 23, the Fort Kent Town Council lost the chair of the planning board, Danny Nicolas, because of a split vote of 2-2.

The discussion became heated at times.  Council Priscilla Staples raised an objection after John Bouchard made a motion to reappoint Nicolas to the position on the planning board.  Nicolas has held a seat on the planning board for 30 years.

Staples said, "I have problems with Mr. Nicolas."

She said Nicolas has a bias against her, primarily around the issue of the windmill ordinance.

She described three different times when Nicolas declined to recognize her at public meetings.  She described other instances and called it a "pattern of threats and intimidation".

Council Joel Desjardin corroborated her allegations and said Nicolas mistreated him.  He said, "I am a witness to Mr. Nicolas saying to Dr. Staples that she and I would not be recognized."

Desjardin said, "Perhaps it would be time for [the planning board] to have somebody else lead."

Desjardin said Nicolas treated him rudely, at one point instructing Desjardin not to tell the planning board what to do, but that he should ask the planning board.  Desjardin remarked, "Maybe I should kneel down by the altar."

Desjardin said, "To me it was as abuse of power."

Council John Bouchard asked Danny Nicolas to respond.  He said, "I did tell them that I would not allow them, as councilors, to influence the planning board."

Nicolas stressed that he meant he would not let them address the planning board as representatives of the town council.  Staples said she did not recall Nicolas explaining his refusal to recognize her at the public meetings for that reason.

Nicolas said he also called the Maine Municipal Association and the MMA confirmed that Desjardin and Staples should not address the planning board as members of the town council.

Nicolas said, "I believe the reason you two don't want me on the planning board is because you don't know which way I lean on commercial windmills."

Nicolas cited his experience on the board and noted that the town already experiences difficulty filling positions on the planning and zoning boards.

He said, "The crap we [board members] take?  Unbelievable."

Louis Moreau indicated he wanted to postpone the vote until the next meeting, but Desjardin said the rest of the council could persuade him to change his mind.  Moreau called for a vote, which resulted in a tie, effectively removing Nicolas from the planning board.

Nicolas said, "Joel (Desjardin), you flip and flop like a fish out of water."

Town Manager Don Guimond, who left the council room at one point during the discussion, said, "This is unfair to accuse a committee of being biased."  He said, "They serve freely and willingly, and it's not an easy task."

Guimond said, "I want no part of it."

Louis Moreau said, "We are losing an asset. He has truly been an asset to the community and to that board."

Moreau instructed Guimond to put the question on the agenda for the next meeting.  Earlier in the meeting, the council appointed Bob Michaud to take the vacant town council seat.  Michaud will be a voting member at the next meeting and a tie vote would be unlikely.

After the vote that effectively unseated Nicolas, the council voted unanimously to reappoint Jim Levasseur to the planning board.

The council also discussed the cost of leasing parking lots at various locations in the town, such as the historical society and a spot behind Shoes to Boot.

Guimond indicated in his financial report that the town's spending was at about the expected point at this time in the fiscal year.  He said revenues appeared stronger than in the previous two years.

He said, "All in all, things are looking okay."

Guimond described renovations occurring at the town offices for windows and doors.

He also described recent discussions regarding the international bridge and how the construction may impact some properties near the American side of the bridge because of issues with elevation.  He also said there may be plans to heat the bridge to control icing.