Select Board sets September 14 ethics training

Select Board 2026-09-09 Part 2 · Meeting of September 9, 2026

Orleans Select Board preps ethics training after advisory committee complaints. Town Manager Kim Newman told the board on September 9 that recent "concerns and complaints about various actions on different boards and committees" prompted a plan for a closed Select Board training with counsel on September 14, ahead of broader advisory-board training this fall. Vice Chair Michael Herman backed training but said his focus is narrower: "Are we following the open meeting laws?" The board also reviewed draft FY27 goals, including a water-rate review, a gas-powered leaf-blower and string-trimmer ban, and a food-waste campaign aimed at a 35 percent cut in tipping costs.

Herman pressed colleagues on a stalled, town-meeting-funded plan to redevelop 44 Main Street for housing and community space, saying the board "completely dropped the ball on this." No votes were taken on the goals or the Marine & Freshwater Advisory Committee's charge revisions; the session ended with a unanimous vote to adjourn at 4:59 p.m.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,744 words

Source: the Select Board 2026-09-09 Part 2 meeting of September 9, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.