Alna selectmen Oct. 22 set a Nov. 5 special town meeting for voters to consider letting the board tap surplus for up to $25,000 to cover legal costs. 

The $20,000 voters approved at the annual town meeting in March has been spent, First Selectman Nick Johnston said. Responding to email questions later, Johnston explained: "The overspending ... was due to legal fees incurred from a Board of Appeals process that was dealing with a land use permit appeal. The Board of Appeals needed legal representation to help with the process and the Select Board also retained legal counsel to represent the Board and Code Enforcement Officer in the matter."

The special town meeting is in the fire station's meeting room. Johnston believed it would be at 6 p.m. 

Resident Tom Aldrich told selectmen the selectboard meeting’s agenda item to approve the special town meeting warrant was unfair to residents because it did not say what the special town meeting is about. Later in the meeting, selectmen drafted a policy statement to appear on their agendas, stating if an agenda is not out five days ahead, there were extenuating circumstances; and that the board can add urgent items to an agenda such as ones involving property or public health and safety. 

Also Oct. 22, the board worked on its planned request for proposals for legal counsel, including how to ascertain any conflicts of interest, and what else to ask about and how to ask it. Having experience in an area of law does not necessarily equate to having success in it, Third Selectman Coreysha Lothrop observed. “I guess you can have experience in something and really (be bad) at it."

"We probably can throw that in?" Second Selectman Steve Graham said, drawing laughter that continued as Lothrop said, "We'd love to know that you've had these kinds of cases 15 times and have lost 14 of them.”

Resident Jeff Philbrick suggested public input could help identify possible conflicts of interest. And he asked if the RFP would include a scoring rubric for the board to judge the proposals received. 

The lack of a rubric is by design, Graham said. "We have complete latitude in ... making a decision ... I think we should retain the absolute flexibility to accept or reject someone who files (a proposal)."

The board discussed a possible Dec. 3 deadline for proposals.

Johnston explained via email, the town has legal counsel now, but "it has been several years since we looked at other options for legal services and felt it would be good to see what other firms or attorneys may be available. It will give us the opportunity to speak with applicants and see if there is another attorney or firm that would fit our small rural town well."

Selectmen appointed Elizabeth Brown and Christine Anderson as election workers.

Lothrop said applications have closed for the taxpayer assistance program. About 15 were received, which will exceed the $10,000 budgeted, she said. She suggested considering fundraising in future years to add to what gets approved at town meeting.

And Lothrop said requests for firewood from the wood bank are at an all-time high. Wonderful volunteers were set to process wood, "and we are managing a couple of donations of wood, so that's very exciting," she added.