TRUSTEE ELECTION
The Kittery Water District Will Be Holding An Election To Elect 2 Trustees
September 20, 2023
Kittery Water District Office – 17 State Road, Kittery
(7:30 am – 4:00 pm)
2023 CANDIDATES RUNNING
- James Golter (Kittery)
- Robert Gray (Kittery)
All residents of Kittery and Kittery Point are eligible to vote. All Eliot and York customers and noncustomers residing in the District territory will be eligible to vote. Determination of eligibility for Eliot & York is by street address.
Please bring proof of identity, age 18+ and residency by providing a state issued photo ID (drivers’ license or State ID) including your address. Residency can also be proven by providing a current utility bill, vehicle registration, bank statement, lease agreement or pay stub.
Voting by absentee ballot will be available from August 25th thru September 15th.
Absentee ballots must be obtained in person at the Kittery Water District office at 17 State Road in Kittery, office hours Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO BE ISSUED AN ABSENTEE BALLOT. The same proof of eligibility criteria as outlined above will be required.
Eligible Street List
The District is governed by a Board of Trustees. The Trustees are elected annually by the customers that reside in the District boundaries outlined in the charter.
The Trustees serve staggered 3 year terms.
Board Meetings are at the Town Council Chambers at Kittery Town Offices on the third Wednesday of the month at 5:00 p.m. and are viewable on local access channel 22.
To register for the upcoming meeting, please visit the Trustee Meeting Tab of our Website and click on either “Upcoming Meeting Agenda and Packet” or “Meeting Info Center” the agenda and packet along with the link to register for the meeting will be available about a week before the meeting.
Trustee | Term | |
---|---|---|
John C. Perry (President) | 2024 | jcperry@kitterywater.org |
James Golter (Treasurer) | 2023 | jgolter@kitterywater.org |
Robert Gray (Clerk) | 2023 | bgray@kitterywater.org |
Michael Melhorn | 2025 | mmelhorn@kitterywater.org |
Carla Robinson | 2025 | crobinson@kitterywater.org |
John Perry
Education:
- Graduate of R. W. Traip Academy 1960
- Apprentice pipefitter at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
- Graduate Wentworth Institute Boston 1966 with associate degree in nuclear engineering
Experience:
- Started career at General Dynamics Quincy shipyard as an engineering assistant in the nuclear test group to help test the nuclear reactors on the four nuclear submarines the shipyard was building, This is where I learned the basics of operating fluid system, water chemistry control and integrated systems testing including operating critical reactors at full power dockside and on sea trials. Two years later I was promoted to test engineer and shortly thereafter completed my Naval Reactors qualification and transferred to Electric Boat Groton to supervise and direct testing and operations on nuclear submarine reactors eventually becoming a Chief Nuclear Test Engineer.
- I left the employ of EB to take a construction test manager’s position with Public Service Indiana on a commercial nuclear power plant similar to Seabrook that they were constructing on the Ohio river. After four years on this project, PSI discontinued building this nuclear plant due to the post Three Mile Island regulatory climate.
- I then obtained employment as a supervisory startup/consulting engineer with Boston based Stone and Webster Engineering starting up and testing commercial nuclear powered electricity generation plants throughout the eastern US.
- I eventually left my employment in the nuclear industry and found a new career in resort hotel management joining the Boughton Hotel Corp with hotels in Kennebunkport, ME and Delray Beach, FL.
- When I fully retired, I returned from Delray Beach to Kittery where I have lived the last 14 years.
General:
I recently became aware of some controversies surrounding the Water
District. There have been some negative elements in the town and on the
board so I decided to see for myself what was going on. I have attended and listened to most of the water district board meetings since December 2020 and I have been pleased to find out that the District which has been run very well over the years has been responsive to the wishes of the Kittery people. Mike Rogers, Jim Golter and the entire staff members and crew are continuing to provide great service to the town of Kittery. I wish to work with them to continue supplying good tasting, clean, safe, quality water and service to the residents in the KWD service area. I believe in bringing a positive attitude and informed support of all of the matters concerning the operation of the district and will listen to the concerns of all citizens and look for informed and rational solutions. The most critical areas that I see in need for improvement are upgrading the voting methods and procedures and upgrading the methods of communication with residents and businesses receiving KWD services. There has been enough talk about providing transparency of the actions of the district and the board of trustees!! My plan is to do something about it!!
James E. Golter
Age: 61
Years residing in Kittery: 25
Career Experience: I have over 40 years of experience in the plumbing and heating industry. I have owned and operated J. Golter Plumbing & Heating since 1986. I am currently licensed in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Objectives/Goals: As a Trustee of the Kittery Water District, my goal is to educate our water users on the various processes and regulations of the District and to help the community come together to maintain and protect our valuable resources.
Trustee Experience:
- Served on the Kittery Water District Board of Trustees for the past 13 years.
- Experience in water treatment systems and as a Trustee have visited multiple treatment plant facilities in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts to assess their operations.
- Worked to update the Kittery Water District’s Backflow Protection Program based on the State of Maine’s Public Utilities Commission Codes.
- Have worked in conjunction with Wright Pierce Engineering on site pilot studies to explore treatment options.
- Currently a member of Maine Rural Water Association, Maine Water Utilities and the New England Water Works Association.
Licenses Held:
ME Master Plumber #MS6900 ME Gas #PNT5909
ME Master #1 & #2 Oils 15 GPH #MS30012057 NH Master Plumber #2645
NH Gas #GFE0804488 MA Master Plumber #PL16273-M
MA Journeyman Plumber #PL32851-J MA Gas Technician
RPZ Backflow Prevention Device Inspector/Tester Certification #0014199
Practical Experience:
- Design and installed water treatment systems, pressure reducing stations and water booster systems in residential and commercial facilities.
- Installed water mains and sewer piping.
- Installed and serviced centrifugal water pumps.
- Worked with Weston & Sampson Engineering, installing plumbing systems for the Kittery Sewer Leachate facility.
- Worked for Phillips Exeter Academy for 20 years designing and installing water, sewer and steam condensate systems.
- Installed fuel oil and LPG tanks both above and below ground.
- Install and service hydronic and steam heating plants.
Bob Gray
Born 1950
Robert W. Traip Academy Graduate (1968)
United States Coast Guard Veteran (1969-1973)
Married to Shealagh Kimball since 1973
Experience:
Retired with over 40 years experience in industrial and process control engineering, instrumentation and control networking, industrial ethernet and embedded firmware testing. Worked in pharmaceutical, semiconductor, petrochemical, lighting glass and health care products.
For 13 years operated a independent systems integration business, contracting to Hoechst-Celanese, Brooks Automation, Intel.
Employed by GTE, Standard Thompson, Schneider Electric
Service in Kittery
- Kittery Historical & Naval Society, President of Board of Trustees
- Friends of Fort McClary, Board of Trustees
- Tide Mill Institute, Board of Trustees
- Orchard Grove Cemetery Association, Board of Trustees
- Kittery 375 Celebration Committee
- Town of Kittery, Board of Appeals
Other activities
Historical database & application development, gardening, beekeeping, brewing and photography.
Michael H. Melhorn
Age: 64
Residence: Kittery Point – 63 years
Education:
Graduate of R. W. Traip Academy – 1976
Experience:
Started Career at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1982 (33+ years)
Marine Machinists Mechanic (X38) – (1982 – 1992)
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Fire Department – Retired Fire Captain – (1992 – 2015)
International Assoc. of Firefighters Local F-123 – President 2000-2016
Kittery Fire Department – Retired Asst. Fire Chief – 1990 – 2018
Kittery Fire Department – Driver/Operator – 2018 to present
Orbis Inc. – Contractor – Waterfront Supervisor – 2016 to present
Goals:
I believe that with the increase in both business and residential construction we need to be concerned how this will impact our water system and our firefighting capabilities as well as how we will be able to keep up with and maintain these systems. I’m interested in helping to improve and maintain our hydrant system. The KWD has done a great job in their recent upgrades and continues to make significant improvements in this area.
I’m also interested in the development of the future needs of our community and how we can progress forward in providing safe, clean, good tasting and quality water at a reasonable cost. I believe watershed is a high priority for maintaining good quality water in our ponds and we should continue to improve our methods of maintaining them.
We should continue to improve the methods of keeping our residents informed.
Mike Rogers and the entire KWD crew continue to provide a great service for this community, and we should strive to maintain a safe and healthy work environment for them.
Carla Robinson
Education:
- Graduate of R. W. Traip Academy 1973
- University of Maine with a degree in accounting
Experience:
- York Water District for 38 years, 25 of those years as Financial Manager
General:
My intent as Trustee Board Member is to maintain and increase the level of excellence the District and its Employees current have and to maintain that level at a fair rate to the customers.