Executive sessions beg the question: What next?

Chris Gilpatrick Sr., middle, writing, prepares for yesterday's second executive session at Town Offices in Lebanon. (Harrison Thorp photo)

LEBANON - Two heavily anticipated executive sessions involving Selectman and Assistant Rescue Chief Jason Cole’s questionable use of social media came and went on Tuesday with barely a whimper.

The first session, which began at 3:45 p.m., 15 minutes late, included the Lebanon Board of Selectmen as well as Rescue Chief Samantha Cole and was expected to address her husband’s derogatory comments made against Gilpatrick Property Services and their quality of mowing services at a Lebanon Cemetery. Lebanon Rescue handbook rules specifically state that uses of social media to defame an individual are prohibited.

The second session, which included Gilpatrick Property Services owner Chris Gilpatrick Sr., several of his employees as well as another Lebanon business owner, was also thought to center around Cole’s use of social media including the “fleecing” Facebook post. Select Chair Karen Gerrish and former selectman Robert Frizzell last month had said Cole would be asked to retract the “fleecing” comment and apologize.

Subsequently, Cole wrote what many, including Gilpatrick and his son, Chris Gilpatrick Jr., had agreed was, in fact, an insulting letter of apology that only made things worse, falling far short of a proper mea culpa.

During the second executive session, selectmen at first balked at having some half-dozen meetinggoers crammed into the selectmen’s small office, and wanted to listen to grievances individually. But in the end, all were allowed to stay in the meeting, which lasted some 90 minutes.

Asked on Tuesday at the end of selectmen’s regularly scheduled evening meeting whether any decisions were made or voted on after the sessions, Gerrish indicated no decisions were made on one, and selectmen needed more information on the other.

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During the evening meeting, another temporary dance permit was approved for Trains Tavern despite a couple of citizens who raised concerns over public safety issues, including fighting.

Trains owner Paul Pelletier noted that despite the tavern’s seeming notoriety, only twice have police had to come to the tavern on such issues, and in each case, the perpetrators had been arrested. He said he has some 20 surveillance cameras in place and bouncers trained in martial arts and crowd control to help keep the peace on dance nights.

The lone incident that has dogged the club since shortly after it opened was a fight that left one man with severe injuries after a January 2012 altercation between several men outside the bar. The victim in that case is back at work and continues his recovery.

Selectmen will hold another public hearing later in the fall before approving an annual dance permit, which is officially called a Special Amusement Ordinance.

Lebanon residents approved the enactment of the town’s Special Amusement Ordinance by a slim margin last month.

In other news:

*** Selectmen authorized Corinna Cole to put together a Videotaping Committee to discuss options to begin videotaping government meetings.

*** Selectmen will revisit signage issues along Flat Rock Bridge Road, where “No Parking” signs were erected on both sides several years ago by Flat Rock Bridge Family Camping Resort. 

Tom Clements of Rochester complained that one side of the road should be free for fishermen to park on, so they can walk down to the nearby Salmon Falls River.

Clements brought the issue to selectmen last year, but he said they never got back to him on it.

*** Selectmen will try to get a funding referendum on the November ballot to do some work on the Old Town Hall.

Selectmen also continue to seek state historical status for the building, but some wondered at last night’s meeting it putting a new foundation on it and moving it may have, in fact, disqualified it from historical site status.

*** Robie Marsters questioned why Lebanon road crews were putting gravel down on Chickadee Lane, a private road.

Roads boss Larry Torno explained he’d been told to fill some potholes where the school bus turns around several years ago and had continued to do so.

Selectmen agreed to research the problem and decide if the practice should continue.