Pledging to maintain an affordable and fiscally responsible town, four long-time Bowdoinham residents are vying for two open seats on the Bowdoinham Select Board this November.
Former select board member Wendy Cunningham, who stepped down six years ago to “fulfill family commitments,” wants to return to resolve disputes over the town’s recycling program.
Candidate Peter Feeny echoed Cunningham’s’ concerns about the town’s current recycling program and said he would not shy away from “unpopular decisions that are in the best interest of the overall community.”
The recycling program became a hot topic in 2020 when Bowdoinham officials moved operations from the Recycling Barn to the public works facility after the local inspectors deemed the building unsafe for the public.
Prior to 2020, the structure had been leased from barn owner David Berry, who spent the last two years making the required upgrades.
Last month, Bowdoinham residents voted to move recycling operations back to the barn instead of constructing a new public works building; a vote that went against the Select Board’s recommendation.
Stepping away from public works and expressing an appreciation for Bowdoinham’s “tight-knit” community, candidate Paul Denis said he wants to focus on keeping Bowdoinham an affordable place to live by better managing the town budget and remedying staffing shortages.
Candidate Allen Acker’s views are similar to Denis’s in that he plans to take a closer look at the meaning of “affordable” housing and how increasing property taxes are affecting residents.
Here’s what the candidates told The Times Record.
Wendy Cunningham
Tell the voters about yourself.
I am a former member of Bowdoinham’s Board of Selectmen, including two years as Board Chair. I have lived in Bowdoinham for almost 30 years and my children went to Bowdoinham Community School. I spent my professional career in corporate leadership positions gaining experience in finance, communication, developing new policies and procedures, and employee relations. I also have experience on several nonprofit boards with the goal of strengthening community leaders.
Why are you running for this seat?
After fulfilling family commitments that lead to my leaving the Board of Selectmen six years ago, I am looking again to serve my community. My common-sense approach to town issues and my commitment to listening to all sides of an issue have been instrumental in building consensus. My inclusive approach has earned me support and respect from the Selectmen I served with in the past.
What are the biggest challenges or concerns facing your town/district in the coming term?
There are several issues facing our town currently, including the location of Bowdoinham’s recycling program. At this point, I believe it is the selectmen’s role in fulfilling the citizen’s initiative to make sure the barn meets safety and environmental standards while staying within the projected costs. Our citizens are also facing economic challenges that require us to be fiscally responsible while continuing to provide services and working to maintain the wonderful and unique Bowdoinham culture.
What are your top priorities if elected?
The important priorities are the ones driven by the citizens of Bowdoinham. My personal priority is to continue to support our amazing town. We have a special culture in Bowdoinham, one which can unite us all. I will listen to the citizens and apply the skills I have to drive common sense solutions while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
Paul Denis
Tell the voters about yourself.
My wife and I grew up in central Maine and decided to make Bowdoinham our home 11 years ago. We have a young daughter and love spending time outdoors. I’m an amateur foodie and have taken road trips all over the country to learn to prepare (and sample, of course) barbeque. I’m currently the president of the Bowdoinham Snowbirds snowmobile club. Professionally, I’m a licensed engineer and graduated from the University of Maine.
Why are you running for this seat?
I’m running to help Bowdoinham plan for the future; not only focusing on the issues of today but taking a proactive approach to getting ahead of the problems of tomorrow. In my career, a portion of my responsibilities has been to create preventative maintenance and capital improvement plans for government and municipalities looking 20 years in the future. I am running to bring that experience and mindset to the Board.
What are the biggest challenges or concerns facing your town/district in the coming term?
I believe our largest challenge is to manage Bowdoinham’s budget providing necessary services while balancing costs. Every day costs are going up, but incomes are not increasing at the same rate, or are fixed. Let’s keep Bowdoinham affordable. Another concern I see is the ideological divide throughout Town in recent years. I’d like to highlight that we all want to improve our Town and we agree much more than we disagree.
What are your top priorities if elected?
I think Bowdoinham’s first priority is to serve our residents. To do that effectively, we need to be fully staffed to provide the level of service that our residents need and expect. Filling and retaining all positions would be my top priority. If we’re understaffed, it means the employees we do have are stretched thin and could burn out, and it is more likely we will be reacting to problems instead of getting ahead of them.
Allen Acker
Tell the voters about yourself.
My name is Allen Acker. I am a third-generation Hammer; both my paternal and maternal grandparents raised their families here and lived here through retirement. I am a father of three kids currently in 9th, 8th, and 6th grade, and my amazing wife Kate of 18 years. I am a US Navy nuclear submarine veteran; I currently serve as a voting member of the planning board and on the Comprehensive planning committee. My family and I own and operate Acker’s Acres Disc Golf in Bowdoinham.
Why are you running for this seat?
I am running for this seat because I love Bowdoinham for what it was, what it is, and what it can be. At 46 years old with my deep ties to the community, I feel I can bridge Old and New Bowdoinham. Our community is special. It is eclectic and diverse in many different ways. We are a live-and-let-live community we don’t judge the quality of a neighbor by the size of their house.
What are the biggest challenges or concerns facing your town/district in the coming term?
Affordable housing and property taxes are the two biggest challenges we face. If our new house stock doesn’t increase neither will our tax base. How do we entice people to develop their property into new dwellings? What is actually affordable housing and how do you construct it in today’s market while maintaining the quaintness and rural village everyone so loves?
What are your top priorities if elected?
We have to be prepared to handle the Senior Homestead Exemption property tax adjustment and reimbursement. The Coombs School building is literally falling down around us. I feel it is time for new town office and library, as zero contractors responded to an RFP for rehab plans by the town. The recycling barn vs single sort recycling and how we offer those to the user. The Green Monster building must be dealt with swiftly and legally.
Pete Feeney
Tell the voters about yourself.
Bowdoinham has been my home for 23 years along with my wife, Nanette, and daughter Genvieve who is away at college. I am an engineer in the merchant marine but have been on a special, shore-based assignment for my company. This allows me to conduct business from Bowdoinham and be physically present and capable of participating in the community in a way that I have not previously been able to do.
Why are you running for this seat?
Holding the office of a selectperson is a civic responsibility and service that requires someone with objectivity and dedication to his or her community. My mother served in about every municipal post in Jonesport for nearly 50 years along with my father being superintendent of schools in the same town. Growing up, it was a front-row seat to all the trials and tribulations of small-town governance. Reflecting upon my observations, I feel drawn to serve despite knowing that being a select person sometimes forces a person to make unpopular decisions that are in the best interest of the overall community.
What are the biggest challenges or concerns facing your town/district in the coming term?
The biggest challenge facing the community at the present time is resolving issues within our solid waste management and recycling program. I regard waste management and recycling as essential community service. That stated it has to be done responsibly and efficiently to deliver the best value options to the local taxpayer and program customer. My intention is to tackle this problem with a collaborative mindset and no prejudice.
What are your top priorities if elected?
Building a community is very important to me. Some of my past and present community initiatives have been co-founding the Long Branch School in 2011 and then starting our community rowing program, Bowdoinham Rowing in 2015. Our national politics have become so polarizing and I fear some of this has seeped into the local level. My priority is to break down these barriers and make people realize we live in one awesome little community that requires us all to tackle challenges together.
This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Paul Denis’ and Wendy Cunningham’s last names
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