Four months from now, Chebeague will hold its first town meeting. People have asked if we will be ready.
Of course. What choice do we have?
We have already chosen a logo for the town seal; the Celebration Committee is hard at work planning a week’s worth of events that will include plays, dances, lectures, fireworks and food. We are looking forward. We plan to have plenty to celebrate! Not many communities have the opportunity to create their own government, but we are rising to the occasion.
It is hard to believe that a year ago, my neighbors and I were walking the halls of the State House meeting legislators and educating them about island life. We were passionate about our desire for self-governance. We invited them to come to the island to learn more about our community. They listened to our pitch and voted overwhelmingly to allow us to leave Cumberland and to create Maine’s newest town.
That was April 5. Because of the language in the legislation we were unable to get to work right away. We met in September and chose nine representatives to lead the efforts to set up the town. Our friends on Long Island have been great mentors and can probably best understand the time folks on Chebeague are devoting to the work of setting up the Town of Chebeague Island. It seems like only yesterday that they were in our shoes.
I have spent the winter reading Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin and singing along with John Adams in 1776. I have taken inspiration from Lincoln and Adams as I attend marathon meetings forced to ask the hard questions trying to determine what is right for our community. I have tried to understand how they were able to put their work for the people above their personal aspirations. I have tried to imagine their personal moral dilemmas as they countered controversy with compromise. Some of us are putting in more than 20 hours a week with subcommittee work, executive sessions and our weekly public Transition Committee meetings. We are killing far too many trees as we try to digest the statutes and ordinances that will guide as we go forward. But forward we go; there is no turning back.
Four months and counting. The ads are in the paper, and we are polishing up our job descriptions and personnel policies. Soon the applications will come streaming in and the hiring process will be in full swing. Have you ever thought of working on Chebeague? The Transition Team is recommending hiring a full time administrator/treasurer and a full time town clerk/tax collector to support the selectman form of government. In addition, the town will employ two fulltime people to staff public works. There will be two teachers and two ed techs who will work full time at the island school as well as a part time superintendent, custodian, food service worker and bus driver. Municipal part time positions may be combined or not, depending on the applicants. Some positions may be contracted. We are open and flexible. We are looking for a code enforcement officer; building, plumbing, electrical and health inspectors; harbormaster; shellfish warden; transfer station attendant; custodian/maintenance; animal control officer; constable/reserve officer; deputy clerk; and a part time public works employee! No wonder we need an administrator who will also be the road commissioner and much more.
For more information about Chebeague’s jobs check out our websites at www.chebeague.org/jobs or www.chebeague.org/schools. Send queries to hr@chebeague.net. The Town of Chebeague is an equal opportunity employer.
Next I’ll report on our progress as we develop a budget from scratch! We hope to be fiscally responsible and prudently frugal, while meeting the needs of our citizens. Can we do it? Stay tuned. q
In the coming months, Donna Miller Damon will be updating Working Waterfront readers about Chebeague’s progress.