D-F selectmen accept chief’s resignation

Dyer will continue to serve in interim

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The selectmen did accept the resignation of Chief of Police Dennis A. Dyer – effective as of July 30 – during Monday night’s meeting, but the chief will be staying as the interim head of the Dover-Foxcroft Police Department for up to one year as a search committee works to fill the position.

“For the 12 years I’ve been here Chief Dyer has said his retirement is two years away, two years away and now it’s not two years away anymore,” Town Manager Jack Clukey said. He said in talking with Dyer — who has served as police chief since 1985 and in September will reach 44 years with the department — they came to an agreement that would be of benefit both to the town and to the chief.

“Basically he’s serving as interim chief for up to 12 months,” Clukey said, doing so to assist with the transition in leadership.

“Dennis has done an excellent job as chief for us and we’re certainly going to miss him and we wish him well in retirement,” Clukey said, adding that Dyer has also served as Dover-Foxcroft’s emergency management agency director. “We are also very appreciative that he’s going to stay with us for the next year.”

Select Vice Chair Cindy Freeman Cyr wondered why Dyer’s resignation was brought forward so quickly and what benefits the change would have for the chief. Clukey said Dyer could have stayed for another 12 months “but he has options available as soon as he hits retirement” and he can receive some of his benefits while serving as interim police chief.

The board’s protection committee will start working on revising the police chief job description and advertising for the position. “The sooner we get started, the more leeway it gives us – it takes time to find a qualified applicant,” Selectman Steve Grammont said. “I don’t think anyone wants to sit waiting for the clock to run down,” he added, saying hiring the next police chief will probably not be a two- or three-month process.

Freeman Cyr suggested members of the community be involved in the search process.

In other business, the board approved the completed certificate of assessment prepared by the town’s assessor.

“We have a mill rate a little less than what we projected in the budget process, $20.25 instead of $20.30,” Clukey said about the rate for every $1,000 in assessed property.

The selectmen also approved a paving bid from Hopkins Landscaping, LLC of Hermon, with the $206,440 low bidder agreement based on estimated material quantities.

“We have a paving program and we have funding for that,” Clukey said, with 2016 being the first year of the pavement management plan developed for the town by Gorrill Palmer of Gray. A sum of $400,000 is available for the season’s road work with the Hopkins Landscaping construction to be monitored by Gorrill Palmer as progress is made to get as much accomplished within budget as possible.

Clukey said this year’s work includes portions of the Bear Hill and Range roads, on Essex Street between the bridge and Cedar Street and on Lincoln Street between Davis and North streets. “Their plan would be to be here the first week of September and we’re already doing our part, replacing culverts,” Clukey said. He said per the contract, Hopkins Landscaping would be done the road construction by late October.

The pavement management plan looked at the 34 miles of roads in town, with nearly 14.5 miles identified as in critical need of preventative maintenance and another 9.1 miles having fallen into rehabilitation/reconstruction status. Town officials had stressed the need to address the critical need roads in order for the travelways to not fall into the second, more expensive category.

In his report Clukey said the charter commission had an organizational meeting on July 13 and needs to have a public hearing within 30 days. This session will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Morton Avenue Municipal Building.

“Our comprehensive plan was approved by the state with some suggestions,” the town manager said. He said this committee will meet and bring the finalized document to the selectmen in the near future in order to get an article concerning the comprehensive plan on the November ballot.

“They didn’t seem significant,” Clukey said when asked about the comprehensive plan suggestions made by the state reviewers.

“They did say we would be fine if we didn’t implement any of it,” Grammont said about the adjustments proposed for the document. “If we passed it back through it would still get approved.”

“We are getting close to getting done with the riverwalk at The Mill,” Clukey said. He said the path, located above the floodplain, starts next to the basketball court and ends at the hydro facility.