WOODLAND, Maine — Woodland selectmen decided to continue searching for a new school and municipal office security system during their Dec. 27 meeting, taking audience suggestions into consideration but making no formal motion on the matter.
Selectman Tom Drew, whose farm is within sight of the school and town office, said he recently saw someone hanging onto a car door in the school parking lot while driving around in circles at 11 p.m.
“There’s some weird stuff going on here,” he said. “This is not the same town I grew up in.”
Drew added that he has seen enough suspicious activity throughout the town to convince him that security is essential.
Officials briefly discussed quotes from Inlution and Northern Business Products, but did not mention specific prices.
Town Clerk Janet Schofield said someone came in earlier in the day and said they thought the town office would have had a glass enclosure for employees by that point, and Drew added that the office workers do need protection in the event of dealing with a potentially dangerous resident.
“I came down one day and saw someone here who was irate,” he said. “I don’t know if they had a gun but they weren’t emotionally balanced. With a lot of these people who come in, you don’t know if they’re safe. It’s getting worse every day.”
Tax Collector Amber Moutinho told Drew she was glad that he was able to witness the irate resident, and Drew said that interaction was part of the reason that he is passionate about tightening municipal security.
A member of the audience asked the board members if they had sought a quote from Seacoast Security, a Maine and New Hampshire security company with a Presque Isle office, adding that they have provided cameras and access cards for employees at DFAS in Limestone for over a decade and offer their products at reasonable prices. The resident also made a point of saying he’s not affiliated with the company.
Selectman Will Barnum asked if it would be possible to obtain a quote before setting next year’s budget, and Selectman Carl Grant said the town will likely spend roughly $10,000 on the system regardless.
