By Beth David, Editor
The Fairhaven Select Board held another marathon meeting on Monday, 6/9/25, including an executive session that lasted more than 1 1/2 hours to discuss some sort of disciplinary action on Select Board member, Natalie Mello, and Planning Board member, Jessica Fidalgo.
In a phone interview, SB chair person Charles Murphy said the executive sessions were requested by board members. For Ms. Mello, the reason was related to the letter from Tracy Travers at the 5/27/25 meeting that was read during the public comment period by Erin Carr. For Ms. Fidalgo, the reason was related to SB member Keith Silvia’s request not to re-appoint Ms. Fidalgo to the Belonging Committee, saying she violated the social media policy.
Both Ms. Mello and Ms. Fidalgo requested executive session as they involved matters of a personal nature. In the end, the board returned to open session and Mr. Murphy read a statement saying the board had heard the complaints and no further action was being taken.
When item D7 came up, Ms. Fidalgo was re-appointed to the Belonging 4-0, with SB member, Andrew Saunders, abstaining. He did not give a reason. Mr. Silvia voted to re-appoint Ms. Fidalgo.
The board also heard a request, that they approved, for Conservation Commission member, Wendy Drumm, to be exempted from a perceived Conflict of Interest on a hearing in her neighborhood.
The owners of 17 Turner Avenue, Douglas and Kamryn Dubois, need ConCom approval for a building application on the property that they plan to sell. They have asked that Ms. Drumm not be allowed to take part in the hearing. Ms. Drumm said they are blaming her, erroneously, for something that happened years ago. She said she is four houses away, about 700 feet and has no financial gain or loss by their selling their land.
Ms. Drumm said there is no reason for the owner to object to her participation in the hearing, and they gave no evidence based reason to exclude her. She asked them to simply let her do her job on the commission.
SB member Andrew Romano asked if there would be a quorum if Ms. Drumm did not participate, and there would be.
SB member Andrew Saunders said the process, in essence, gives Ms. Drumm “safe harbor” from an ethics complaint being filed later on.
Mr. Romano said he is always on the side of stepping away, and that 700 feet may not officially make her an abutter, but it is a tight neighborhood. He said he would probably vote no, although it was not a reflection of her as a member, and noted he served with her on another committee.
Ms. Drumm said it would be “demoralizing to the commission and to me,” if they allowed the property owner to cavalierly keep her out of the decision.
Mr. Silvia said he agreed with Mr. Romano, that if someone else can vote, then the person with the COI should step aside.
“It just keeps it plain and clean taking yourself out of it,” said Mr. Silvia, voicing a very different opinion than when Patrick Carr had a conflict on the Zoning Board of Appeals in regards to the storage shed project.
In the end, Mr. Silvia joined the majority and voted to allow Ms. Drumm to participate in the proceedings, with only Mr. Romano voting “no.”
The board also heard from several members of the public about the vote at the 5/12/25 meeting to appoint Geoffrey Sullivan to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Erin Carr, Cathy Melanson, Patrick Carr, Derek Furtado, and Michelle Costen, all complained about Mr. Sullivan’s appointment, saying the board should have chosen one of the more experienced applicants.
Ms. Carr said that SB member Natalie Mello’s question to Ms. Melanson was inappropriate and sexist. Ms. Mello had asked Ms. Melanson about a comment she made after she lost her re-election bid for Planning Board. At that time Ms. Melanson said she would spend more time with her grandchildren. When she applied for the ZBA position, Ms. Mello asked Ms. Melanson what had changed.
At the next meeting Ms. Mello was accused of sexism for asking the question.
Amy Goyer, who resigned from the ZBA, creating the opening, also spoke, saying she was treated abysmally and was harassed terribly while on the board. She said a middle aged white man can behave badly and break every rule, but if you are a woman you get different treatment.
“I’m really fed up with it,” said Ms. Goyer, adding that everyone should be held to the same standard of behavior.
Mr. Furtado said he was an associate member of the ZBA and had no idea there was an opening. He also said he never saw any harassment of Ms. Goyer.
Ms. Melanson said she was turned down for a white male. She said it was unfortunate the “manner” Ms. Mello addressed her.
“She referred to me dismissively as merely a grandmother,” said Ms. Melanson.
She also said Mr. Romano approached her in the hallway after the meeting and began to question her “unprofessionally.”
Mr. Romano refuted that account later in the meeting.
Ms. Melanson said she wanted a public apology from both Ms. Mello and Mr. Romano. She also said she wanted the board to rescind the vote for Mr. Sullivan.
“I totally dispute everything that Ms. Goyer said,” said Patrick Carr, who is the chairperson of the ZBA.
He said people are being chosen as favors to be on boards instead of those who “deserve” it. He said he hoped the board would right a terrible wrong and rescind the vote.
In other business, the board created a working group to work on possible solutions to the Atlas Tack building. The board opted to go with a working group instead of a committee, exempting the group from posting meetings, creating agendas, taking minutes, being recorded by Government Access, or otherwise letting the public be apprised of what they will be doing.
The vote was 3-2, with Andrew Romano and Natalie Mello voting “no,” as they wanted to create a committee that would have to adhere to the public meeting law.
The board is looking for people to join that working group. Members of the public who are interested in being appointed to any committee or board, should visit the town’s website at, https://fairhaven-ma.gov/ volunteer-opportunities/ and fill out an application; email Selectboard@ Fairhaven-MA.gov; or mail a letter to the Select Board at Town Hall, 40 Center Street, Fairhaven, MA 02719. Call the Select Board office at 508-979-4023 with any other questions.
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