PEMBROKE - June 17, 2026 - The Pembroke Select Board engaged in a heated debate during Wednesday night’s meeting as members confronted Town Manager Bill Chenard over persistent delays affecting major municipal infrastructure projects. Frustrations peaked regarding stalled bids and regional boat ramps, prompting the board to demand documented staff schedules to address systemic delegation issues.
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The meeting shifted focus from routine business to an intense examination of municipal project management when board members questioned the status of the Lage property, a parcel acquired nearly a decade ago intended to serve as a parking area across from the Herring Run. Despite previous administrative assurances that the project would be posted for public bid by June 17, Town Manager Bill Chenard acknowledged that no such action had occurred. Similar delays were discussed for the public boat ramp upgrades at Oldham Pond and Furnace Pond.
When pressed for a concrete timeline, Chenard cited an overwhelming fiscal workload, including legally mandated year-end closing procedures, bond counsel correspondence, and Department of Revenue audit preparations. He asserted that his short-staffed office had to prioritize compliance items carrying financial penalties over infrastructure projects.
“There is a huge workload... In all good faith to this community, I cannot prioritize those. There is no penalty for us for not doing those. There is huge penalties if we don’t do the other tasks [34:31].” — William Chenard, Town Manager
Board members rejected the reasoning, noting that the infrastructure initiatives had languished for years. Members suggested that Chenard’s difficulty with delegating administrative duties, such as formatting and publishing bid packages, created a bottleneck. To establish administrative accountability, the board directed Chenard to submit his schedule and the workloads of his office staff for oversight review.
