Citizen think tank meets in Sangerville

To the Editor; 

There was an atmosphere of positivity at the Sangerville Fire Station on Monday evening, Sept. 25. About two dozen townspeople gathered as a think tank to discuss possible courses of action to meet the needs of Sangerville’s town office. The group was facilitated by new Town Manager Patrick Lewis.

The original location of the town office, the 1902 town hall building was vacated in 2022 due to structural concerns and insurance issues. Since that time, the town office has been located in a rented space on Main Street. The questions of how to proceed in finding another location for the town office and the fate of the old town hall have remained in the balance ever since.

The think tank represented a unique cross-section of town citizens that reflected the demographics of the town, as well as a variety of perspectives. During the open and civil discussion, ideas were shared and options were explored. The group had a common goal: Develop a comprehensive and detailed set of options to present to the public so voters can make an informed decision about the future of the town office and the old town hall. The brain-storming and conversation resulted in a few citizen committees that will independently research various courses of action and report back to the group.

The next meeting of the volunteer think tank is on Monday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. in the fire station kitchen. Interested Sangerville citizens are invited to join the group in this constructive, problem-solving approach to a pressing town need.

Dyan McCarthy-Clark

Sangerville