ROCKLAND — “I want to be really clear that tonight we are discussing if an ethics violation has merit; it is just a discussion, we are not holding this as a board of ethics,” said Rockland Mayor Louise MacLellan-Ruf at the beginning of the special Rockland City Council meeting Wednesday, May 4. The meeting was focused on determining if a Rockland City Council member had overstepped his bounds in hiring consultants without the knowledge or consent of the city council.

The special meeting put Councilor Larry Pritchett in the hot seat as he explained his role in exposing the city to potential costs by hiring two consultants to work with the planning board in developing power plant regulations.

At this point, no invoice for consulting fees has been received by the city.

In answering questions, Pritchett moved from department to department — the planning board, the energy commission, the city manager’s office and the city attorney — but at no time did he admit that he had hired the consultants. Nor was that question directly posed to him.

City Manager James Chaousis is on medical leave and was not in attendance for the special meeting. Assistant City Manager Audra Caler Bell, sitting in for him, said in the past no one can be paid by the city without a contract or a W-9 on file for invoices over $500.

Halfway through the discussion, MacLellan-Ruf produced a second example of Pritchett hiring a contractor outside city knowledge, this time costing the city $11,000.

“Is there something that’s called a pattern,” asked MacLellan-Ruf. “One of the things I did was reach out to the city manager and ask if this has happened before. ‘Has Larry become overly involved in contracts’ and yes, it has happened before.”

The mayor produced an email from the city manager about a lighting project that had to do with all of Rockland and not just Main Street.

“The bill was handed over to the city from Falmouth,” she said. “You had engaged with Falmouth in some sort of interaction in a lighting discussion which amounted to an $11,000 bill. The invoice breaks down into time. Again it just seems as a councilor that you have gone outside of what would be acceptable interactions with consultants.”

The mayor pointed out that it was all done sans a committee and without any knowledge of council. Both Geiger and Clayton said this was the first time they had heard of such an invoice.

Pritchett said the cooperation between cities was for the city to acquire the rights to all street lights from Central Maine Power. Pritchett said this was the first time he had seen the invoice.

“I don’t think I want to respond to this,” said Pritchett. “I’m not sure what it is without fully reading it.”

The mayor read further from Chaousis’ email, in which he explained that Pritchett had been running the lead on a four-town street light program. In his email, Chauosis said he had mentioned it a few times in his manager’s report.

“We have paid a considerable sum to the town of Falmouth cost-sharing the project,” Chaousis said. “This was done through my authority since I was reluctant to drop a project that predates me.” 

Chaousis said in his email that he had not been managing the project, but had been responding to Pritchett’s direction. He also said he was concerned with Pritchett’s objectivity with administering this project without management and/or without city council oversight.

Chauosis referred council to the city attorney in his absence and stated that he had been useful to Pritchett in his vision.

Closing the meeting, MacLellan-Ruf said everyone needs to be clear on what their roles and responsibilities are. She said it was important for taxpayers to know how their money is spent.

“It’s been flagged and I’m willing to move on,” she said.

Valli Geiger said she was in agreement with the mayor.

“We found two contracts, we haven’t found 10,” she said. “I have no doubt Larry you have done those things for the benefit of the city. I just think we can all benefit from clear bright lines, but I don’t need to take this any further.”