By Beth David, Editor
The Fairhaven Select Board will interview three finalists for Interim Town Administrator at its next meeting. On 12/16/24, the board received three names from the Interim TA screening committee (TA Committee).
The TA Committee chairperson, Jeff Osuch, told the SB that they received 10 applications, and they interviewed five. The SB representative on that committee, Andrew Saunders, was unable to participate in the interviews due to a possible conflict of interest. He did not disclose what the conflict may have been.
“The potential conflict I had has been resolved because of the selection of these three,” said Mr. Saunders when asked by fellow SB member, Andrew Romano, if he would be able to participate.
The names of those who apply are not public. Only finalists that will be interviewed by the SB in open session are made public. However, word manged to get out that at least two New Bedford City Councilors applied for the job. Mr. Saunders has business interests in the city, so that could present a potential conflict.
The finalists, however, are not NB City Councilors, they are Leilani Dalpe, Gregory M. Hanley, and George G. Samia.
Ms. Dalpe is the Assistant TA in Weymouth; Mr. Hanley was a TA in Holbrook and is completing an interim TA position in Dracut; Mr. Samia retired from East Bridgewater, where he served as Town Administrator and Town Accountant.
Mr. Osuch, who served as Fairhaven’s Executive Secretary for 27 years, said they all have budgetary experience, which is the category, he said he feels the town needs.
In the next six months, the town will need to prepare a balanced budget to present to Town Meeting in May. He said any of the three would be qualified to assist Acting TA Anne Carreiro, who is also the Town Accountant, and is on the TA Committee, to prepare a budget.
Hopefully, said Mr. Osuch, the town can present a balanced budget to Town Meeting.
“I think you’ll have some problems getting there,” he said.
Mr. Osuch said he believed they chose the three strongest candidates.
“And I say it from the standpoint that this is town government,” said Mr. Osuch, and reiterating what he said earlier. “Your big problem in my eyes is your budget. And the process to get to a balanced budget is not going to be easy.”
He reminded them that he did it for 27 years.
“I know how it cannot be a pleasant task when you have to tell certain departments you can’t get what you ask for,” said Mr. Osuch. “And that’s something I think that has been missing in this town for last few years.”
The TA Committee gave the questions they asked in the interviews to the Assistant to the TA. The board will also submit their questions and she will create a list.
The SB will interview the three candidates on Monday, 12/23, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The board also voted on six conflict of interest (COI) disclosures for town officials, including four for the fire chief.
Two Cultural Council members, John Walker and Beth Ann Gallagher, filed disclosures for appearance of COI. Both have had professional dealings with Ron Fortier of the Artists Index, who is applying for two grants from the Cultural Council. Both CC members disclosed the relationship and said it would not influence their votes.
The SB vote on the Cultural Council COIs was simply to acknowledge receipt of the Disclosures.
The four COI disclosures by Fire Chief, Todd Correia, were related to relatives who work in the fire department under his supervision.
Those votes required the board to confirm that they have reviewed the disclosures and they are allowing the chief to perform his duties because the financial interest “is not so substantial as to be deemed likely to affect the integrity of the services which the town of Fairhaven may expect from the fire chief.”
The first disclosure was for his brother, Paul Correia. Although the form says he is the Deputy Chief, Chief Correia said it needed to be changed, his brother is a Lieutenant and is Acting Captain.
The second disclosure was also for the chief’s brother because the chief participates in contract negotiations for all employees.
The third disclosure was for the chief’s nephew, Tyler Correia, who is a member of the department with the rank of Lieutenant, and is Paul’s son.
The fourth was for his brother-in-law, who is a call firefighter with the rank of Lieutenant.
The board confirmed and approved Chief Correia to participate in all aspects of the job pertaining to the employees in question. Mr. Saunders noted, however, that Chief Correia will not participate in any assessment centers for promotions.
The votes, stressed Mr. Saunders, give the chief “safe harbor” to supervise his brother and other family members, and to participate in contract negotiations.
All six disclosure forms are available on the SB page on the town website under meeting packets. Navigate to the 12/16/24 meeting.
In another matter, the board heard from Fairhaven Firefighters Local 1555 Union President, Kevin Gonsalves, to discuss the delay in promotional exams for the fire department.
The question arises amid the confusion on whether or not the fire and police departments are in civil service or not. Both unions agreed to leave the civil service system and Town Meeting voted to approve those contracts. But during the hiring of the police chief, if was uncovered that the process may have been flawed.
The Civil Service Commission and the Attorney General’s office are both considering the matter.
Mr. Gonsalves told the board that he negotiated the contract removing the department from civil service, so that was not the problem. He said whichever way it falls is okay with him, but they need to proceed with one system or the other.
Civil Service has deadlines, he said, and if they miss the promotional exams coming up in January, they have to wait a whole year.
SB Chairperson, Stasia Powers, said the board is still waiting for a determination regarding civil service.
“We believe we are in Civil Service,” said Ms. Powers, although they have not heard from the AG’s office.
Mr. Gonsalves countered that he believed the AG’s office said they would have nothing to do with it so it is the Civil Service Commission that decides.
Ms. Powers said it should go to the attorney.
Mr. Gonsalves said department has acting positions, but acting positions are not supposed to be long term.
Mr. Gonsalves also took the opportunity to advocate for more personnel, although he acknowledged that the town is in a deficit. He referred to a couple of studies and decisions regarding other departments and asked if the town could conduct similar studies so the incoming TA would have facts to go by.
To sum up, he said, we do not know what is happening with promotions for the Fire Department.
“We have issues we have to work out before we move forward,” said Ms. Powers.
SB member Andrew Romano said he believed that the town was supposed to be acting as if it is out of Civil Service not in.
Mr. Gonsalves reiterated that he had no problem either way, but they needed to know so they could proceed using the right set of rules.
“I just wanted to be on the agenda for the record asking those questions,” said Mr Gonsalves.
In another matter, the board heard from Sumul Shah of Fairhaven Wind, the owner and operator of the two wind turbines on Arsene Street.
Mr. Shah had asked the board in a previous meeting to modify the contract. The board asked him to get more information and he said he and Ms. Carreiro have had a chance to “really dive in” with the numbers.
The change he is asking for is in the transmission and distribution rate which fluctuates. If he can be assured of a fixed rate, he said, the company can secure financing to refit the turbines with new generators and blades, which will cost about $5.7 million.
The retrofit will increase the power output of the WTs, provided Eversource allows it into the grid, and they will be quieter.
Mr. Saunders asked if the company is using the new version anywhere.
Mr. Shah said his company is not, but that it is “pretty much” all over Rhode Island, and there is one in Plymouth.
The retrofit is necessary because they cannot get parts for the current WTs and have scrambled to get service technicians.
Mr. Shah said he needed the board to agree to the concept, more than the details, so he could submit the application to Eversource. Approval from them could take two years, and it could be rejected.
The board asked for more numbers and they will vote on the proposal at their meeting in January.
The board convened in Executive Session to discuss the fire chief and police chief contracts.
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Click here to download the 12/19/24 issue: 12-19-24 OldTyme
Click here to download the OML complaint: TACommOML_Complaint
Click here to download the OML complaint response: TACommOML_Response
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