Harpswell’s first full-time town planner in several years resigned in December after just five months on the job, raising concerns that the position may be too demanding.
In a cordial but brief resignation letter dated Dec. 10, former Town Planner Matthew James said he had decided to step down from the position. James, of Bath, is a former code enforcement officer and current University of Maine graduate student whom town officials had praised for his research and analytical skills.
“After careful consideration, I regret to inform you that I have decided not to continue working for the Town of Harpswell, and have accepted a job offer elsewhere,” his resignation letter says.
James was hired in July to replace former part-time Town Planner Mark Eyerman, who had worked 20 hours a week for the town. Eyerman had a contract with Harpswell since 2016 that paid $60 per hour for his services. Before Eyerman, the town had employed a series of full-time planners beginning in 2001.
Town officials had said the new full-time planner would be responsible for additional duties such as seeking grants to fund town projects and working on important issues that include attainable housing, resiliency to climate change, and sustainability projects.
While James didn’t specify the reason for his departure, Planning Board Chair Amy Haible said he seemed overburdened with too many job responsibilities.
“The planner’s job is one of the most difficult jobs in town, aside from the two administrators,” Haible told the Select Board at its Dec. 19 meeting. “It requires sometimes 40-, 50-, 60-hour work weeks, and some of that is because you’re being asked to not only staff the Planning Board, but also staff various committees and town projects.”
Haible said the Planning Board recently denied a property owner’s application to build a new dock near High Head. She said James had been unable to gather information sought by the board regarding past approvals of similar applications, which could have helped stave off a potential legal challenge.
“Matt literally said he did not have the time to research past approvals for other docks at High Head, and so he couldn’t tell us, at the Planning Board meeting or in his findings, why those other docks had been approved, which would have made a big difference to us as we sat in review,” Haible said. “It was unfair to the applicant, and it was unfair to the board, and ultimately unfair to the taxpayer and the town, not to be able to answer those questions because the staff did not have time.”
At its Dec. 19 meeting, the Select Board approved hiring Harpswell Code Enforcement Officer Margaret McIntire as interim town planner to replace James at a salary of $63,000. Haible said McIntire is “exactly the person we want” for the job, and she urged town officials not to overwork her.
“Let’s not overburden her with her duties and give her time to develop her skills and pay for her to do that, and to stay with us,” Haible told the Select Board. “We will all benefit from that.”
In early January, Town Administrator Kristi Eiane said local officials are considering changes in response to Haible’s concerns.
“We are working to ensure the Planning Department is adequately staffed, which includes evaluating the responsibilities and duties of the Planner and considering additional supports such as more contracted services, possibly more staff as well as the reassignment of committee support roles,” Eiane said in an email.
When James was hired, Select Board member Jane Covey said the responsibilities left behind by the highly experienced Eyerman might amount to more than a full-time job, and that the town may need to hire more planning staff.
Eiane noted that of the town’s roughly 30 employees, only three resigned or retired in 2024. She said many Harpswell staff members have been employed there for more than 10 years.
Another recent staff departure was by Gina Caldwell, former recreation director and community services coordinator, who resigned in November after more than 16 years working for the town. She was replaced by Katie Neal, former operations director at Harpswell Heritage Land Trust.
In a Dec. 17 memo in support of Neal’s hiring, Eiane noted her education, which includes a master’s degree in nonprofit management, and “extensive work experience with youth as well as with outdoor focused entities where she has exhibited both hands-on and administrative capacities.”
The other staffer who left in 2024 was Animal Control Officer Gerard “Gerry” Ferrari, who retired after two years on the job and was replaced by Jim F. Bebarski, whose son, Jim R. Bebarski, is the town’s communications specialist.
