The first meeting of the new Windham Town Council took place this Tuesday with newly elected councilors Carol Waig and John MacKinnon joining the seven-member council. With budgetary issues settled for the coming fiscal year starting July 1, the meeting was short and congenial, consisting mainly of council and committee appointments for the following year.
Councilors nominated Robert Muir to serve again as chairman of the council.
“I think you did a great job,” Councilor Shaugnessy said to Councilor Muir. “I appreciate you being willing to step up and do it again.”
Councilor Tobin seconded this sentiment.
“I, too, welcome your acceptance,” Tobin said. “We’ve lost two experienced councilors (Thomas Bartell and David Ennis) this year. They quietly kept us on course. I don’t know who will this year.”
After Councilor Muir’s acceptance as chairman of the council, Councilor Tobin was nominated to serve again as vice chairman.
“I think we had a smooth leadership the past year,” Councilor Wisecup said. “I think you work well as a team and I’d like to see that team continue.”
In the end, Muir and Tobin retained their appointments as chairman and vice chairman with Councilor Wisecup, in turn, being appointed council parlimentarian for another year. As parlimentarian, Wisecup answers procedural questions and makes sure that the order of parliamentary process is followed.
The council elected themselves as a whole to be the finance committee for the coming fiscal year. Councilors Lloyd Bennett, Waig and Wisecup were elected to the appointments committee.
Town Manager Anthony Plante was elected by the council to serve as Windham’s representative to the Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG). GPCOG is a collection of representatives from towns in Cumberland County who come together to discuss regional issues. Plante describes GPCOG as “a vehicle for communities to work together on anything they want.”
This was the first Town Council meeting for councilors Waig and MacKinnon. Waig replaces Bartell as councilor at large and MacKinnon replaces Ennis as councilor for the East District. MacKinnon suffered a bacterial infection that led him to be hospitalized during the election. He said he is now back on his feet and ready to serve alongside Waig on the council.
“It’s obvious in a situation as rookies that we need to follow the lead of the senior councilors,” MacKinnon said of the new appointment.
“I’m sure that we are going to learn a lot from them,” Waig added. “It’s going to be hard losing (Bartell and Ennis) who have been here forever.”
At the School Board meeting on Wednesday, Michael Duffy was appointed to serve again as chairman and Kate Brix as vice chairwoman. Both Duffy and Brix won re-election to the board, along with Toby Pennels and Mary Wassick, at the June 14 election.
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