Select Board Replaces Planning Board Vice Chair Lee Worcester With Former Member.
Jun 24, 2026
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Viridian Law.
SOUTHWEST HARBOR—The Southwest Harbor Select Board did not choose to reappoint its Planning Board Vice Chair Ben “Lee” Worcester back onto the Planning Board, during its January 23 meeting.
Instead, the board unanimously appointed David Lloyd, who has previously served.
There had been three candidates for the town’s Planning Board, with one seat available; all three had substantial experience.
Board Chair Dan Norwood asked for motions from the Select Board members to choose an applicant to fill the seat.
After a pause, Noah Burby moved to appoint David Lloyd to the board. Lloyd was unanimously appointed. Former Select Board Vice Chair Chapin McFarland had also applied.
Worcester chairs the Southwest Harbor Sewer and Water District, which is currently reviewing his request for a water line to the recently approved 12-lot Trundy Farm Subdivision that is adjacent to an uncontrolled landfill that his family began in 1971 and owns, Worcester’s Sanitary Landfill.
Worcester and his family began and own Eastern Maine Recycling, which is a local environmental services company and transfer station. The family also owns the landfill on Long Pond Road, which is being monitored by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. The subdivision is near both the Eastern Maine Recycling (EMR) facility and the Worcester landfill site.
Concerns about the landfill led to a town ordinance that requires soil testing for certain projects near state-designated “uncontrolled” contamination sites. But as written, officials have worried it may apply more broadly than intended, potentially triggering testing requirements in areas tied to sites that have already been remediated or for uses that might not disrupt much soil. The town and Planning Board have been working to revise it.
Voters approved that ordinance 554–187 in November 2025.
Back in 2011, Worcester also had failed to be reappointed to the Planning Board after a 4-1 vote. At the time, a former Planning Board member accused him of “pushing recent zoning changes through the approval process” according to an article by Mark Good.
Later in the meeting last night, the Select Board appointed Worcester to the town’s Land Use Ordinance Review Taskforce, which is tasked with reviewing the ordinances that determine what and how and the requirements for building in the town’s zones.
“I would like to personally thank Mr. Worcester for his many years of guidance and knowledge on the board,“ Norwood said.
Lloyd and his wife owned the Seawall Motel for 22 years before they retired. He’d served on the Planning Board in the early 2000s.
“Prior to coming here, I ran my own fire investigation business in the Chicago area. I investigated the cause of fires from Rhode Island to Wyoming, and Minnesota to Mississippi for dozens of insurance companies. Following that I opened the Special Investigations Unit for the Hartford Insurance Company in Chicago, later became the director and moved to Connecticut,” Lloyd wrote in a letter supporting his application. “I came to Southwest Harbor after that. As a retired business owner and long-time member of this community, I am aware that our town faces decisions regarding development, housing, environmental protection, infrastructure and budgeting while preserving the small coastal town character that we love. I believe that these decisions must be made by people who do not have conflicts of interest, can see the ‘big picture’ and work with other board members in a supportive non-confrontational way.”
OTHER APPOINTMENTS:
The bulk of the Southwest Harbor Select Board meeting, Tuesday, June 23, focused on appointments and updates.
Sustainability Committee.
The Sustainability Committee pulled names from a hat about who would receive one, two and three-year terms. The committee’s bylaws were later approved in the meeting as well.
All committee members were reappointed to staggered terms that were meant to align with the new bylaws.
- 3-year: Kenneth Rozsahegyi, Mary Ellen Martell, Leslie Heilakka
- 2-year: Craig Kesselheim, Emily Samuel, David Krueger, Raney Bench
- 1-year: David Scull, Nancy Weingarten
Harbor Committee.
The board appointed Ronald Musetti to the Harbor Committee. Justin Snyder didn’t seek reappointment.
Acadia National Park Advisory Commission.
Worcester had been the town’s representative and had previously said he would not seek reappointment to the commission.
Town Clerk Jennifer LaHaye said there’s been no applications.
Select Board Vice Chair Natasha Johnson volunteered for the three-year term.
SWH Housing Authority Board of Commissioners.
The board appointed Terry Shin as SWH Housing Authority Tenant Commissioner.
SWH Land Use Ordinance Review Taskforce.
The Land Use Ordinance Review Taskforce appointed its new members.
The board decided that there needs to be no residency requirement to be on the task force.
Johnson said it was valuable to have differing perspectives on the task force.
Burby said he was amendable to that for a task force as well, since it is a temporary body, unlike a board or a committee.
During discussion, Kesselheim asked about the definition of resident.
Norwood and LaHaye said the definition of 183 consecutive days in town per calendar year who occupy a dwelling is often used in its ordinances.
Kesselheim said that a lot of people are in the impact zone who may not meet that requirement.
Worcester was appointed, 4-1, to serve on the committee. Kesselheim said during public comment that Worcester had said on his application that he had no conflict of interest and he disagreed. The dissenting vote was Kalie Hess.
Carolyn Ball, Mike Guerette, Ted Fletcher, and Ken Rozshaegyi, were all unanimously voted to be at large members.
Rozshaegyi, a summer resident, said he was willing to not be on the committee if they wanted to restrict it to residents.
“Either way I’m fine with it,” Rozshaegyi said.
James Vallette withdrew his application during the meeting in the hopes that would make room for non-resident members.
Joel Wolak was appointed for the Planning Board representation.
Acadia Disposal District.
James Vallette was appointed to the Acadia Disposal District for a three-year term.
The Select Board renewed Clark Point Catering LLC’s liquor license.
RECENT PRESS RELEASES AND BRIEFS
To see all the press releases, click here. To see our news, click here. For the full archive, click here. All of these are on our dedicated website.
Discover more from Bar Harbor Story
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.