The Gray Town Council met on Tuesday, Nov. 12, to fill a position on the council that has been vacant since Sept. 12, as well as confirm other nominees for local government positions. The process of filling the vacancy took nearly three hours, and saw deadlock and heated debates between the candidates and the council members. Levi Robinson was ultimately chosen.

In addition to Robinson, a former municipal auditor who noted his financial background as something that would be valuable to have as a council member, there were four other candidates for the council position, including Vincent Palange, a retired executive surgical device specialist who had previously attended a Town Council workshop in order to take the time to learn about the position; Jesse Reich a member of the Recreation Committee who was passionate about making Gray a “town that people are proud to call home for generations to come;” Derek Shirley, a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals who gave a passionate speech promising to expand access to medical cannabis; and David Hall, a retired naval officer who had previously served on the Planning Board in Livermore.

Following a one-hour workshop in which each of the candidates presented themselves and described their goals for the future of Gray, the council reconvened to decide on their choice for the position. The council members then assessed the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate. Councilor Dan Maguire praised Robinson’s sincerity, while Councilor Krista Chappell was concerned about whether or not his previous employment at RHR Smith and Co. would affect his objectivity.

Meanwhile, Palange was praised for changing his flight to come to the meeting, as well as his business acumen and dedication to learning more about the position. Chappell praised Reich for synthesizing the goals and visions for Gray’s comprehensive plan, while Councilor Michael Johnson was concerned about his impartiality due to a social media post he’d made regarding the vote on high school renovations. Shirley was praised by the board for his passion and ideas for economic growth, but was criticized for his seemingly narrow focus on cannabis issues. Councilor Anne Gass praised Hall for taking initiative during his time in Livermore, but was unsure of his qualifications for the council role, while Johnson said he was unsure whether Hall really wanted the job.

The vote for who would become the next councilor was then deadlocked, with Johnson and Maguire voting for Palange, while Chappell and Gass voted for Reich. Following the vote Palange and Reich each restated their case, with the former emphasizing his listening skills and praising Gray’s revitalization efforts, while the latter stressed his reputation as a compromiser, although Maguire pressed him on his social media usage.

After the nominated candidates spoke, the meeting went into a tense public comment period. One resident said that it was important to consider which of the nominees had the time for a volunteer Town Council role, noting that Palange was a retired businessman, an idea that Chappell took issue with. The other candidates also took issue with the way they were assessed, with Hall stressing that, contrary to the council’s assessment, he absolutely wanted the job, Robinson stating that it was unfair to characterize him as having a conflict of interest with RHR, and Shirley excoriating the council for casting him in a poor light due to his passion for cannabis rights.

Following a 10-minute recess with no candidate named, the council came to a consensus that they needed to look at a third, compromise candidate. All of them quickly agreed on Robinson, who was named to the position. Robinson will be sworn into his role as a councilman in December, and will serve at least until an election is held for the spot in June.

In addition, Denise Clavette was appointed to the newly created role of economic development director. Clavette, who has over 30 years of municipal government experience throughout Maine, told the Lakes Region Weekly that she was excited for the opportunity to use her skills and talents to help develop Gray, and her goal was to get to know the community and its various stakeholders. Her experience, she said, helped her understand the importance of integrating new businesses and retaining old ones.

Ahead of her unanimous confirmation, Clavette said that she was humbled and honored to be nominated for the position, and stressed that “it’s very important to involve everybody collaboratively before you do anything.”

Also, Sandra Carder was nominated for a position on the Resiliency Committee, Valerie Rasza for the Open Space Committee, and Wolodymyr Pryjmak for Planning Board. Carder and Rasza were appointed, while Pryjmak’s nomination was tabled.