Patience with staff preached

transcribing meetings has become time consuming.

In the end, the board voted to do away with the minutes by adopting the modification to the town’s communication policy. Part of the vote was to revisit the issue of producing minutes again in another six months.

Hawley said there are less than a dozen Freedom of Information Act requests each year. For now, those people can be directed to the date of a meeting and the corresponding video — if there are no minutes.

“The reason this whole conversation came up is because we are short staffed and trying to figure out the best use of staff,” Chairman Jim Grattelo said. “We have got a clerk who works 35 hours a week. It takes 6 to 8 hours to do the minutes. We tried an outside company to do it. There were so many mistakes. It was inaccurate.”

Martina Witts, who sits on the Naples Planning Board, expressed her displeasure with the minutes being discontinued.

“It makes it less transparent. We rely on written and verified information. . . . we have to go back and review two hours of video to find information,” Witts said.

Five of the seven planning board members sent letters or emails stating that they were against the change to the communication policy, she said.

“It is not an efficient way to run town government,” Witts said.

Selectman Bill Adams reiterated that it took six to eight hours for staff to go through recordings of meeting and produce minutes.

Selectman Kevin Rogers found an advan - tage to watching video of meetings, rather than researching it in written minutes.

“To me, I would rather fast-forward through a meeting to see how people are interacting. If you watch how people are interacting, you get more out of a situation than reading the minutes,” Rogers said.

Chairman Grattelo took the opportunity to point out the employee changes that are occurring at the

JOINING SUNSET LAKES REAL ESTATE, Juliann Laughlin (left) and Diane Monaco (right).

Monaco, Laughlin join real estate firm

SOUTH CASCO — Sunset Lakes Real Estate is proud to welcome Diane Monaco, associate broker with 18 years of real estate experience, and Juliann Laughlin, Diane’s assistant for the past 15 years.

Diane specializes in lakefront and lake connected property. She has a true understanding and knowledge of the needs and desires of today’s buyers and sellers. Diane has worked extensively around the 60 lakes in 20 towns of this region. Additionally, Diane has hosted two HGTV shows, 2009 House Hunters “Sebago Lake Region of Maine” and 2015 “Bargain Hunters” for lakefront in Maine’s Sebago Lake Region.

Juliann has been a licensed associate broker for 20 years working in the Lake Region.

“Once again, we welcome Diane and Juliann and look forward to them representing Sunset Lakes Real Estate.”

Sunset Lakes Real Estate is located at 53 South Casco Village Road, Casco, and can be reached at 207-655-2139, www.sunsetlakesofmaine.com