By Beth David, Editor
The Fairhaven Select Board held a meeting on 10/15/24 that can only be described as bizarre at times, even by Fairhaven standards, featuring the return of a former Select Board member to chastise the current board about a subject he voted on when he was on the board, and the total absence of the Town Administrator who was, reportedly, in the building the whole time. Throw in a couple of executive sessions, a colorful, quite possibly inebriated, frequent flyer for public comments, and the inevitable scolding by an aggrieved Planning Board member, and it is, simply put: popcorn worthy.
The board had a full agenda, but most of the night was spent listening to cryptic, vague, and impossible-to-corroborate accusations and innuendo about the Town Administrator’s contract.
The weirdness began within seconds of the meeting convening, with SB member Keith Silvia saying that Town Administrator Angie Lopes Ellison was not in her seat, but she was in the building, and suggested that someone get her. SB Chairperson, Stasia Powers, said she believed Ms. Ellison was not attending the meeting, saying it was “fine.”
“I don’t think it’s fine,” said Mr. Silvia. “She’s the Town Administrator.”
Ms. Powers noted that they were going to hold an executive session in a few minutes to talk about the TA.
When it was time for the board member items/liaison reports. Mr. Silvia yielded his time to former Select Board member, Leon Correy; and to Planning Board member Patrick Carr.
Ms. Powers noted they have a public comment period on the agenda, but Mr. Silvia said they did not want to be limited to two minutes. Ms. Powers relented and let the two men speak.
Mr. Correy started by saying it upset him to have to be there, but he was there to “protect the town.”
He said the last two performance reviews of the TA had high scores. The lower scores were from people not on the board anymore. He said he was concerned about the change that had taken place. He noted that the firm of Clifford and Kenny has been “very involved.”
He said they made a mistake on the civil service hiring of the police chief and Ms. Ellison took the brunt of that.
Mr. Correy said he had records of everything he was saying from information he got through records requests. He noted, though, he was not able to get the minutes to two executive sessions because the board denied the request.
He accused Clifford & Kenny of double dipping and overcharging the town. He said he did not understand how they are in a position to tell Ms. Ellison she should not be at the meeting.
Ms. Powers interjected calling it a “charge,” but Mr. Correy drowned her out saying, “these are real facts.”
He said he was speaking “strictly on facts” and that he has not participated in a “single second of meetings” since he left the board.
He added that the fact he had to be there was “somewhat insulting.”
Mr. Correy said he remembered a meeting in January that the board voted to appoint SB member Charles Murphy as the negotiator with Ms. Ellison on her contract renewal.
Mr. Correy said he found no motion to reconsider so that vote is still valid. He said if there was no motion to reconsider then they have to start over.
It is unclear what Mr. Correy was alluding to. After the meeting, Mr. Silvia said he believed that Mr. Murphy was not negotiating with Ms. Ellison, that other members were, but he would not be specific.
Mr. Correy also criticized some answers he got to his questions, such as “if you knew what I knew,” although he did not name anyone.
He said as Ms. Ellison’s employer, the board is required to provide her with a safe, productive environment to do her job.
He said they are potentially putting the town in jeopardy of facing a “major lawsuit.”
Mr. Correy told the board they have an obligation to the town, not their friends when they sit on “that side of the table.”
Mr. Carr also went through Ms. Ellison’s public evaluations, and noted she received a $10,000 increase. He said Ms. Ellison helped mitigate the $450K deficit the town faced.
“Ms. Ellison did her job,” said Mr. Carr.
He said five candidates ran for two seats and only one was calling for the removal of Ms. Ellison (he did not win). All the other candidates vowed to work with the TA.
That was six months ago, said Mr. Carr, and now there’s a decision to terminate her contract.
Mr. Carr said he knows as an employer that he cannot just terminate someone without just cause.
He asked if anyone on the board has taken into consideration legal actions that might be taken against the town. Does the town have the extra funds to buy out her contract, which would be “hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he asked.
He asked why they would choose that. Besides a minority of citizens with red signs in their yards, the majority do not have signs.
Mr. Carr said they need to inform the public with transparency.
Mr. Correy and Mr. Carr were most likely referring to the rumors that the board had voted in executive session not to renew Ms. Ellison’s contract, which expires in April of 2025. Executive Session proceedings are not open to the public and are supposed to be secret until the matter is resolved. After the matter is disposed of the minutes can be released to the public. A request for minutes from two executive sessions was denied at the last board meeting. Mr. Correy said at this week’s meeting that he had made those requests.
Right around that point, well known activist/agitator, and frequent flyer in the public comment section, Diane Hahn, stumbled to the podium holding two of the previously mentioned red signs calling for the removal of the TA, and one campaign sign for Andrew Romano.
Planning Board Chairperson Cathy Melanson got up and tried to get Ms. Hahn to sit back down.
Throughout the meeting, Ms. Hahn had periodically called out asking if it was public comment time yet. The answer was still “no.”
“You’re going to ruin it,” said Ms. Melanson.
“I won’t ruin it,” said Ms. Hahn.
“It’s not your turn,” said Ms. Melanson.
Ms. Hahn lamented the fact that everyone else had time.
Ms. Powers assured her she could speak during the public comment period.
When she got her chance, Ms. Hahn railed against people putting up signs on town property, saying she found all three signs on the sidewalk, as she threw them on the floor of the meeting room.
“Don’t put your signs on public property,” she said. “Thank you very much.”
After the meeting the Neighb News tried to ask Mr. Carr if he was saying that the town was bound by law to renew the TA contract even if it expires.
“No comment for you,” said Mr. Carr with a wave of his hand and walked away.
In another matter that can also fall into the category of bizarre, the board held a pole hearing for 16 poles on Sconticut Neck Road to be relocated. The thing is, the poles are already in place.
Monica Medeiros spoke to the board saying she was not given notice about where the poles would be and one is right in front of her window and will block their efforts to widen their driveway.
Highway Superintendent Joshua Crabb said they sent three mailings, and home owners were compensated for the placement of the poles.
Ms. Medeiros said she never would have agreed to that spot and they only got one notice, the compensation notice, and it said nothing about placement.
Ms. Powers noted that the board was supposed to be approving the poles being installed, but it seemed they were already up.
“The poles are up,” said Mr. Crabb, adding that he thought the hearing was for getting them “charged up.”
After a little bit more back-and-forth, the board decided to continue the public hearing until they can get a representative from Eversource there to answer some questions.
In another matter, the board also approved use of the town hall by the Fairhaven Improvement Association, pending their payment of $1,000 in outstanding bills.
The association will host the annual sing-a-long on 12/14/24 outside town hall and use the auditorium for refreshments after.
Eric Dawicki, who is on the FIA board, told the SB that he was shocked to hear that the town charges the FIA anything to use the town hall. He said the FIA was designed to be part of the fabric of town hall. He said he even believed the town was required to have a meeting room available to them.
SB member Andrew Romano noted that they have spent the last six months discussing the use of the town hall auditorium, and the policy around it. He said the town should not charge any nonprofit, or charge them all.
Mr. Dawicki continued to make his case, saying the FIA goes back to Henry Huttleston Rogers and should be in a different category.
The board voted to waive the rental fee, but not the custodian, and still required payment of the outstanding bills. Mr. Silvia recused himself from the discussion and votes.
The board also approved and signed the warrant for the special town meeting on 11/19. They voted to hold their recommendation on the 40R bylaw changes because they did not have the final language. They will make their recommendation at Town Meeting.
Even that had a bit of drama, with former Select Board member Bob Espindola asking for some clarification on some concerns he had arising out of the informational meeting the town held on the 40R proposal. He said the money the town would be getting was one-time money and should not be used for staff or other ongoing expenses.
Ms. Melanson took issue with Mr. Espindola’s bringing it up at the SB meeting, saying it was a matter for the Planning Board.
Mr. Espindola said the issues he raised were financial, whereas the PB public hearing was about the proposal, but he was happy to bring it up at the hearing on 10/22.
In other business the board
• Appointed Alexandra Mitchell to the Cultural Council
• Voted to support the Polar Plunge on January 1. This year’s theme is your best disco attire
• Voted to allow use of town hall auditorium by Off Broadway Dance Recital on 12/19, 20, 21.
• Approved the Police Chief’s contract.
• Announced the annual Halloween event at town hall on 10/25 (see page 7)
• Announced the Old-Time Holiday event will be on 12/14 in the center of town.
• Approved the board’s access to town counsel protocols, which lays out when and who can contact town counsel for an opinion.
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