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NG Selectmen to fill Civil Defense Coordinator position
By Elizabeth Prata

New Gloucester-The June 21 Selectmen meeting agenda included many housekeeping items they consider yearly, such as election of Selectmen officers, appointments, policy renewals and the like. One, item, however, was not so routine. In one of her first moves as the new Vice-Chair of the Selectboard, Stephanie Bryan nominated her boyfriend as the new Civil Defense Coordinator, a paid position with the Town.

The position has been occupied since 1989 by New Gloucester resident and volunteer Firefighter Tim Joy. He was also interested in renewing his appointment to the position for the fourteenth time.

Bryan said at the meeting that her choice for nominee, Larry Goff, "Has over twenty-four years of experience as a law enforcement officer, and I feel that he would make a good candidate." Below, Bryan. Monument file photo

Selectboard Chair Steve Libby asked about the current holder of the position, Tim Joy. Bryan answered that Joy is a close, personal friend of hers and that she had nothing against Joy, but Goff was interested and she wanted his nomination to be considered too.

Faced with two applicants for one position, the Selectmen tabled the issue until the next meeting, July 12.

In an interview with The Monument subsequent to the meeting, Joy said that a Civil Defense Coordinator's tasks involve maintaining the Emergency Operations Plan, attending monthly meetings at Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency, and mitigation coordination with the Town Manager, for hazards, storm funding reimbursement and other FEMA/MEMA related activities. The Coordinator also maintains shelter agreements with The AMVETS and the Red Cross, and a variety of other miscellaneous tasks. Left, Tim Joy, Monument file photo

Town Manager Rosemary Kulow explained to The Monument that, "The person who holds the position of Civil Defense Director is paid a stipend of $600 per year, and the position is considered a volunteer position."

Bryan is unapologetic about any appearance of a conflict. "I was under the impression that Tim Joy was no longer interested in the position. Since he had not applied (again) for the position when the term was up, and had not made an appearance before the Board that evening, I had no other reason to believe we had another applicant. Apparently he wasn't aware that like other positions in town, anyone is welcome to apply. Apparently he wasn't happy someone else would be applying for the seat he has held (at least on paper)."

Bryan continued, "With that said, Larry will not be running for the position. He had several reasons for wanting to apply for the position; one being an interest to serve in a volunteer capacity for the town he now resides in. (He was an officer with the Bridgton Fire Dept when he lived there) and the other was simply qualifications and experience. Given his law enforcement experience for the past 25 years and the extra special emergency management training he has received, (since 9/11/01 in particular), I/he felt he was extremely qualified."

Joy said, "Applications are handled like appointments to committees through the nomination process and then approved by the Selectmen. I do realize that a nomination was tabled at the last Selectmen's Meeting. I do not know all the details because I have Fire Department Training on Monday Nights. I consider the FD to be a great source of training for the Incident Command System/ Incident Management System, which is crucial for Emergency Management. The Civil Defense Coordinator is not associated with the Fire Department other than training or resources. It is a paid position like a selectman, or any other department head. I just happen to be part of the FD and consider myself very fortunate to be part of this process."

The issue is a moot point now, because Goff has withdrawn his application, said Chair Steve Libby. The position will be on the next agenda, at which time the Selectmen will review applications, ask questions, wait for a motion, and then vote, Libby said.

Chair Steve Libby did not see that the potential conflict was newsworthy. "Gray, New Gloucester, Raymond, Cumberland, North Yarmouth and Windham must be slow if this is a story!" said Libby.

Aly Colon at The Poynter Institute, a school dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders, told The Monument that "there will always be differences of opinion about a journalists' news judgment." As to the issue of appearances of conflict of interest, Colon said, "It is usually best when things are open and the public can understand the merits and value of the appointments taking place, with all the elements taken into consideration when making a decision."

He said that questions to ask would be checking to see if there is an ethics policy that the town uses when making appointments or hiring personnel. Also one could ask if the relationship is commonly known, or not. A third question to ask in situations like this, Colon said, is to see if the relationship has any bearing on the nomination. "In other words, is this person the best person for the job, relationship or no relationship?"

Colon said that in small towns overlaps do occur. "Eventually you run out of people if making a nomination that seeks to avoid any relationship or entanglement. But if it is disclosed so that the public and the decision-makers can have all the facts it is always better."

Bryan is firm that the newsworthiness is absent for this particular point. "Since Larry and I both thought this to be a volunteer position with a small stipend, I didn't see any reason at all to disclose my personal involvement or living arrangement when it came to a volunteer in town. I wanted the matter to be rescheduled at which time I would have recused myself when Larry came before the Board for consideration. Nepotism is strong in this town when it comes to volunteerism. Nothing corrupt about that," she said.