Police Chief Lincoln Miller was appointed as the town's Emergency Management Director after a unanimous vote at a special Board of Selectmen meeting on Thursday afternoon.

"You could say the hurricane triggered it," said Town Administrator Paul Dawson prior to the meeting.

With Hurricane Irene possibly hitting the Southcoast region this weekend, town officials believed the lingering issue of appointing a director should be dealt with sooner rather than later.

The Selectmen had previously discussed who the Emergency Management Director should be but could not decide whether the position should be held by the Fire Chief or the Police Chief.  Previously, the position was held for 34 years by Dale Jones, one of the founders of Marion Emergency Medical Services as well as its current 1st Deputy Director.

"In a town of this size, the Chief of Police should be the emergency manager," said Selectman Roger Blanchette, citing one of the reasons for why the position should change hands.

The Selectmen pointed out that Jones had served the town admirably for 34 years and that his service to the town was commendable and appreciated. They also said, however, that the Police Chief has more resources at his disposal and that his appointment would cut down on bureaucracy in the event of a major emergency. Jones was offered the position of Deputy Director of Emergency Management so that his 34 years of experience could be retained and made available to Chief Miller during a crisis.

In other town business:

Dawson updated the board on the progress of Hurricane Irene as it moves up the eastern seaboard.

"The last track I saw had it going slightly to the west," he said.

Dawson said that the utility companies had been coordinating with the town to identify the most critical areas and facilities in the event of widespread power outages. He also said that the town's shelter at Sippican School would be ready and is pet-friendly.

Also, Selectman Steve Goshen was granted the authority to act on behalf of the Board of Selectmen during an emergency due to likely possibility that calling the Selectmen together after a disaster would be dangerous or difficult.