Perham Selectmen Stubbornly Refuse to Accept Planning Board Members

In July, 2011, the Perham selectman unwittingly approved Ms. Viola and Tina Bogdanovic as alternate members of the planning board in anticipation of a resignation. Angela Beckwith, one of the two selectman voting on the nomination errantly believed that her abstention from voting would “hang” or tie the vote and the vote would fail. However, with Andrew McLaughlin's Yes vote, the vote in fact did stand, much to the chagrin of the town's power structure.

At a later meeting, the selectmen rectified their 'error' and voted Viola and Bogdanovic off the board.

Viola had served the planning board for over four years in the past.

There is currently no active planning board in Perham, but the bylaws state they are supposed to meet at least once a month. “We're actively looking for planning board members,” said Perham selectmen chair, Jerry Dow.

Querying Dow at a recent selectman meeting, Viola asked, “Why if you have two people who want to serve on a board that nobody else wants to serve on...”

“We already told you the reason at that meeting we voted not to have you,” Dow interrupted, “We're not going to go through that again.”

Dow admits there is currently no duly constituted planning board and also admitted the town has to have one.

“The planning board bylaws say that within sixty days of a vacancy the selectmen are required to appoint a person to serve the expired term,” said Viola “I don't even believe that [the selectmen's] bookkeeping is good enough in the planning board that you even know whose term is up and who is filling somebody else's term. It's just people coming and going, coming and going.”

Mark Malnichuk is currently the sole planning board member. “We are trying to drum some people up to serve on the board, but nobody wants to do it,” he said.