WINDHAM – After several years of being on the losing end of major votes, Tommy Gleason will now lead the Windham Town Council.
The council, which has three new faces since the election last week, chose Gleason for the top spot in a 5-1 vote on Tuesday night. Matt Noel, the former chairman, opposed the appointment, and Councilor David Nadeau was absent.
“Congratulations, Tommy,” Noel said, as he stood up to yield the chairman’s seat.
Gleason, a resident of Cook Road, was elected in 2011 and has often been in the voting minority, ranging from last year’s sewer proposal to this year’s elimination of staffing at the skate park.
He was also a frequent critic of town management while a commentator for radio and local newspapers. The chairman position is considered important since council leadership can set agendas – including or excluding particular items. The chair can also limit or extend comment during public participation.
After Gleason took his place in the center of the dais, the council unanimously voted to appoint Dennis Welch as the new vice chairman, filling the vacancy left by Kevin Call, who narrowly lost to Donna Chapman in Nov. 5’s municipal elections.
Compared to the last several years when debate regarding officers was protracted and several nominations were received for each seat, discussion prior to each of the votes for the new officers was almost nonexistent. There were no reasons given to defend nominations, and Noel didn’t offer a reason for opposing Gleason.
The appointments appeared to herald a new approach to governance for the council.
With the departure of Scott Hayman, who didn’t seek re-election, as well as the defeats of Call and Peter Anania in last week’s election, one council observer speaking from the podium, Bob Wehmeyer, predicted the demise of the pro-development philosophy affiliated with the “Winds of Change,” the memorable campaign slogan that helped bring Noel, Hayman, Bill Tracy, and the late Peter Busque to power in the 2009 elections.
“Adios, Winds of Change,” Wehmeyer said. “The winds are blowing in the right direction now.”
Yet after dethroning Noel, the new council did not leave the only remaining “Winds of Change” councilor completely empty-handed. Despite fierce opposition from Wehmeyer, Noel was unanimously appointed as the council’s representative to the Windham Economic Development Corp., a position previously held by Anania, who owns several businesses throughout Maine, including ones in Windham and Gorham.
When Gleason nominated Noel for the position, Wehmeyer called on the council to select a more “open-minded” candidate.
“I’m trying to be delicate here,” he said. “I think you need somebody that doesn’t have an air of arrogance. I think you need someone that has some scruples. I don’t think that that particular nomination’s a good one.”
In response, Chapman, a friend of Wehmeyer’s, defended Noel.
“Mr. Noel and I have had some differences in the past, and I don’t want those to carry on into the future, but I respect his knowledge and I think he’s fair, and some of the other areas, the rougher edges, maybe we can work on,” she said. “But I think Matt truly is, I mean, when he’s given a task, he digs right into it and he has a lot of support in the community, so let’s just give this a shot and see. After all, I think we’ll all come back up again next year, so I trust in Matt, and I hope you will, too.”
“I trust your judgment,” Wehmeyer told Chapman.
In another 5-1 vote, the council appointed Bob Muir, who was elected last week, as parliamentarian. Noel, who defeated Muir in the 2009 and 2012 elections, opposed the appointment.
The council unanimously appointed newly elected Roy Moore, Muir and Chapman to the Appointments Committee, which is in charge of finding and vetting applicants for town committees.
Town Manager Tony Plante was appointed as council representative to the Greater Portland Council of Governments executive committee.
The council voted 4-1-1 to appoint Councilor David Nadeau as council representative to the Land Use Ordinance Committee. Noel opposed and Moore abstained from the vote. Nadeau was unanimously appointed council representative to the Public Easement Advisory Committee, as well.
Windham Town Clerk Linda Morrell, right, swears in new councilors, from left, Roy Moore, Donna Chapman and Bob Muir at the Windham Town Council meeting Tuesday night.Send questions/comments to the editors.
