2 selectmen at Transfer may face legal scrutiny

Ben Thompson

LEBANON - Today the Town of Lebanon begins its own version of "brave new world" as for the first time two of its selectmen work for the town in the same department.

Paul Nadeau won a landslide victory on Tuesday to be the new selectman, ousting incumbent Paul Philbrick in the process.

Royce Heath, now in his second year, swept to power last June.

Both men work part time at the town's transfer station, part of a five-man crew charged with sorting through debris brought in by residents as well as compacting trash and recyclables when needed.

Selectmen Chairman Ben Thompson said on Wednesday that scheduling the pair's hours may now be more of a sticky wicket as if both of them work at the station at the same time, it would constitute a quorum.

"The meeting would be illegal," Thompson said.

Selectmen are not supposed to communicate on official business except in official meetings.

"There will have to be a conversation on Thursday on how this is going to work," Thompson said.

One option might be that the two never work at the transfer station at the same time.

Another issue will be that the pair will not be able to vote on transfer station accounts receivable so paying transfer station expenses may become problematic.

Also on other transfer station voting issues the two would also have to recuse themselves, thus leaving one selectman, Thompson, to decide the issue.

Thompson said everything could end up with the (town) attorneys, but is hoping that can be avoided.

"We have to touch the waters," he said.

Nadeau will join Heath and Thompson for his first selectmen's meeting today at 4 p.m., when the three will start off by naming a new chairman.

In the past the board of selectmen chose the next term's chairman the last meeting before Election Day, but Thompson said that practice had been discontinued.