Berwick Resident Locked Out While Recruitment Firm Representative Was Apparently Inside Before Public Meeting
At 5:26 p.m. 10/27/26, a Berwick resident was denied admission to a publicly advertised 5:30 p.m. Select Board meeting. A woman believed to be connected to a recruitment firm was already inside. The Board’s minutes subsequently documented a contract awarded to that firm—and an executive-session motion recorded seven minutes before the meeting was called to order.
Berwick Officials Denied Public Access to a Select Board Meeting. Now the Town’s Own Minutes Contradict Themselves.
A locked door. Two Select Board officials refusing admission. Video documenting the encounter. Now, Berwick’s own minutes record an executive-session vote seven minutes before the meeting was called to order. Newly released records raise serious questions about public access, official accountability, and the search for Berwick’s next town manager.
Seven Executive Sessions in 12 Months. Zero Public Videos. Berwick’s Official Records Raise Questions About Public Access.
A 12-month examination of seven Berwick Select Board executive sessions reveals no corresponding public videos identified, three meetings that began before advertised times, two early executive-session votes, and unexplained gaps in official minutes. The Maine Mirror publishes all 14 agendas and minutes for readers to examine.
Locked Out Before the Meeting Began: Berwick Resident Files Formal FOAA Complaint After Select Board Denies Access
A Berwick resident arrived early for an October 27 Select Board meeting advertised for 5:30 p.m., only to find the entrance locked and be denied access. When questioned, the Board Chair declined to identify the statutory authority for the closed proceedings. The encounter prompted a new, independent Maine Freedom of Access Act complaint amid ongoing concerns about transparency and public accountability.