CHESTERVILLE — Selectmen have hired Diana Young as an office consultant.

Board Chairman Guy Iverson said at Thursday’s board meeting that Young will work about 22 hours per week, the same as town Treasurer Olive Couture.

Young retired as Farmington finance director-treasurer in September and is familiar with the TRIO software program used by many municipalities.

Young will be paid $25 per hour and will complete an office evaluation. She will give an estimation of the time needed to get the board on track and advise selectmen on how to better use the equipment, Iverson said.

Couture was hired as treasurer about two years ago and had experience in bookkeeping but no one to mentor her, Selectman Tiffany Estabrook said.

“The selectmen don’t know the job,” Iverson said. “Diana will help the board get up to scratch.” 

In other business, selectmen voted to remove restrictions on who could contact the Maine Municipal Association. The restriction was implemented several years ago.

In 2013, there was a dispute over the town gravel pit. Some board members thought rocks in the pit had value while others thought they were worthless.

More than 1,000 yards of rock were given away for a project in a neighboring town. Rocks from a private pit were sold to the project at $3 per yard.

The board voted to allow only then-Selectmen Josefa Hanson and David Archer to contact MMA about any town government matters. MMA’s Legal Services Department was notified of the vote.

Since then, other selectmen have gotten information from MMA staff.

Recently, the 2013 decision resurfaced when an Appeals Board member sought advice from MMA and was refused because he was not on the list authorized by selectmen in 2013.

MMA told Iverson that selectmen must submit a written request to change the list of authorized people getting information.

Selectmen signed a request to MMA to allow all selectmen, all other members of boards and town employees to get information. The request was sent to MMA Friday morning.

pharnden@sunmediagroup.net