PITTSTON — Two candidates are vying for the open seat on the Pittston Board of Selectmen.

A year ago, Jane Hubert, who has served on the board in the past, ran to fill the unexpired term of Roger Linton, who stepped down in January 2019. That term is now up, and Hubert said she is not seeking reelection.

“I enjoyed the work very much,” Hubert said in March. “Someone else might be more effective in the job.”

Hubert is running instead for a seat on the Planning Board and the Budget Committee.

Fred Kimball, who narrowly lost to Hubert a year ago, is running for the select board seat, as is Greg Lumbert, who has served one term on the Board of Selectmen before losing a reelection bid to Rodney Hembree.

Both candidates were ready for the municipal election, which was scheduled for March 23. That vote was an early casualty of the coronavirus pandemic, which prompted widespread closures across Maine and a prohibition of gatherings of more than 10 people.

The election has been rescheduled for Tuesday, to coincide with the delayed statewide primary election. It follows the annual Town Meeting, which will be held Saturday at the Pittston Fair fairgrounds.

Fred Kimball

Voting will take place in the large conference room where the selectmen meet at the Town Office, 38 Whitefield Road.

Information on how to enter and exit the polling area and maintain safe distances from poll workers and voters will be available.

Kimball, 73, said if elected, his background and experience in business will help provide leadership for Pittston.

He said Board of Selectmen appears to struggle in certain areas, such as contracts and requests for proposals. He would like to see elected officials and town committees take on a capital prioritization effort.

“Not everything can be done in a year,” Kimball said. “I’d like to see the select board lead that effort for at least five years out, if not 10.”

It is important, he said, because it sets the overall direction for the town and outlines how to get there financially.

Kimball said he would like to see better communication on town business, including publishing meeting agendas in advance and making better use of the town’s website.

“When people understand better, they’re going to participate more, and it builds confidence that the group that serves as the (chief executive officer) of this town is really looking at everything it needs to look at,” he said.

Kimball has run a small business for nearly three decades, managing all aspects, including sales, marking, legal, accounting contracts and requests for proposals.

His municipal experience includes serving on a number of committees in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, including the Finance Committee, liaison to the Board of Selectmen and treasurer; the Capital Prioritization Committee and on the Software Vendor Selection Committee.

He also served as a lieutenant in the town’s volunteer Fire Department.

Greg Lumbert, 63, is running for a second term. He was first elected in 2016, when he ran as a write-in candidate for the seat being vacated by Hubert.

“I just want to make my town a better place to live,” Lumbert said.

Greg Lumbert Kennebec Journal photo by Joe Phelan

Lumbert is a deputy with the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, assigned to the Maine Revenue Service. He is also the code enforcement officer, constable and harbor master for the town of Randolph.

His priority is keeping taxes down while keeping Pittston a nice place to live.

“I am not into a dirt-throwing contest,” he said in a March interview. “I just want to do to a good job for the town, but there’s some things that need to be straightened out.”

Among them is how road projects are put out to bid.

“We have several contractors in town,” Lumbert said, “and they should have equal opportunity to do those jobs.”

As it now stands, the road commissioner, who is independently elected, supervises himself. Lumbert said he would like to see that change. He tried to make that change when on the board, but was unsuccessful.

The current road commissioner is Sam Snow.

“I will say, he does a good job,” Lumbert said. “There’s no question about that.”

Lumbert said he would prefer the road commissioner come to the Board of Selectmen before starting a job to get approval for the work, instead of doing the work and then informing the selectmen it has been done.

By policy, he said, the road commissioner is in charge of the roads in town.