Two candidates for the vacant citizen-at-large seat on the Capital Planning and Investment Committee came to the selectmen’s meeting for an interview Tuesday night: Bill Marinelli of Stow Road and Paul Green of Old Littleton Road. Both left empty-handed.
Selectman Stu Sklar refused to vote for either Marinelli or Green because a third candidate had not been invited to the interview. Green and Marinelli each received two votes from the other selectmen, so Sklar’s abstention and the tie vote forced the board to invite the third candidate, Nate Finch of Codman Hill Road, to the next selectmen’s meeting for an interview.
Finch had been interviewed previously by the Capital Planning and Investment Committee (CPIC). According to Selectwoman Alice von Loesecke, he was not brought forward to meet with the selectmen because of his lack of experience in town government. Von Loesecke said whoever is appointed will become the chairman or co-chairman of CPIC, because none of the current members is willing to make the time commitment needed for a leadership role. Because of that, she added, CPIC decided that the new citizen-at-large/chairman should have prior town board or committee experience, and Green and Marinelli were the only candidates with that experience. Marinelli served on the Planning Board, the Bromfield Building Committee, and the Devens Disposition Committee, and he was a selectman for eight years. Green served on the Devens Economic Analysis Team and the Energy Advisory Committee. Both have also held leadership roles apart from town government.
Sklar said he wanted to meet with all three candidates, and although he didn’t realize the new appointee would be immediately tapped to chair CPIC, he said that was no excuse to exclude Finch. “We keep saying we want new people in town to get involved in town government,” Sklar said. He added that CPIC is an advisory board and a person with no experience would have a chance to learn from the other members.
In the meantime, von Loesecke said that CPIC will continue to review capital requests with the four existing members. If he is available, Finch will be interviewed by the selectmen Oct. 3, after which another vote will be taken. Marinelli and Green were told they need not participate in the Oct. 3 interview.
