Comment: Two important items missing from the Selectboard packet

I am going to whine. Two important items are missing from the Selectboard packet for the meeting on Wednesday evening, December 4th.

1. Proposed budget for FYE 2021. Budget discussions kick off on Wednesday, with a presentation by the DPW, followed by "Board Discussion/Possible Action".  No budget numbers are in the Selectboard packet or on the Town's website. The Selectboard had the budget proposal two weeks ago, but the public does not.
2. Town Manager's written report for November. I thought a written report of the Town Manager's activities for the prior month was "expected" at the first Selectboard meeting of the following month. The last report I located was for August, 2019, buried in the Selectboard packet for September 11.  My modest review indicates that since March, written reports were also not in the Selectboard packets for March 13, June 12 or July 10. (My count is six months of nine.) The last Town Manager report on the Town's website is for July 2016. Not a typo ... over three years ago. The public should not be in the dark.

I am disappointed, even though the omissions are very likely oversights due to the press of other business. Yes, the website and packet materials are primarily the responsibility of the the Town Manager. But the Selectboard is the boss. If the website is out of date, if materials do not make it to the packet, or if reports are not being written, that's a shortcoming of the Selectboard as well.
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Posted on HereCast on: 12.04.2019.

A few questions for the Selectboard and the Town Manager for Wednesday’s Special Meeting of the Selectboard.

A few questions for the Selectboard and the Town Manager for Wednesday’s Special Meeting of the Selectboard.

1. (Item #1) Cut to the chase.  Is the current Town Manager willing to sign an employment agreement similar to that signed by Peter Webster, but for one year (two or three years?) at his current compensation package?  If not, why not?

2.  (Item #3) Plan B. If the bond passes, is the Selectboard legally obligated to borrow the money?

3.  (Item #4) Fulton Memorandum.  Was Mr. Fulton’s memorandum an appropriate response to Ms. Layton’s “Public Vote of No Confidence” document?  

4.  (Item #5) Trust but verify.   Should the Town Manager provide more recent construction projects that he supervised to establish his qualifications as  project manager, because the projects he cites at page 6-8 of his resume are from the 1980’s?

5. (Item #5)  Let’s get special.   Should a special town meeting be considered to vote on the project manager issue? Is that a reason to delay the Special Town Meeting scheduled for next week?

Agenda for the Special Selectboard Meeting of Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 6:30 PM

1)    Funding to Seek Legal Advice (Discussion/Possible Action Item)
2)    Receive Petitions (Discussion/Possible Action Item)
3)    Consideration of Cancelling the Special Town Meeting Scheduled for May 12, 2015 (Discussion/Possible Action Item)
4)    Town Manager/Selectboard Relationship (Discussion/Possible Action Item)
5)    Project Management (Discussion/Possible Action Item)

No Confidence In Town Manager To Supervise Construction, says Selectboard Member Layton

Selectboard Member Mary Layton does not want the Town Manager to oversee the building of the Fire, Police and Public Works Facilities, if the bond for the project is approved at a special town meeting in May. Ms. Layton proposed that the Town hire a separate "Owners Project Manager".

In a statement, titled "Public Vote of No Confidence",  distributed at last night's Selectboard meeting,  Ms.  Layton said the March 2015 defeat of the Bond was a "referendum about lack of public trust in the Town Manager’s judgment and sensitivity to what the Town wants and needs." The Statement concludes that the Project "cannot go forward under the supervision of our current Town Manager."
Ms. Layton's Statement can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5p_pfaeTTstcGtEdWpNQ3Rwd0U/view?usp=sharing

Town Manager Fulton responded with his own memorandum indicating the Layton Statement contained "gross inaccuracies".  Mr. Fulton's memorandum can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5p_pfaeTTstTzJBTGtPWE1OU28/view?usp=sharing

In an interview with the Valley News, Mr.  Fulton indicated that by statute, the Town Manager is in charge of construction.  Even if the Selectboard hired a project manager to supervise the construction that person would be the Town Manager's employee.  “They make their policy; I get to implement it,” Fulton said, according to the Valley News article.  The article also indicates the Selectboard did not discuss "Layton and Fulton’s dueling memos on Wednesday night".

The Valley News article Norwich Tries to Shore Bond Support by Rob Wolfe is available online at:
http://www.vnews.com/news/townbytown/norwich/16526565-95/norwich-tries-to-shore-bond-support.

Town Manager -- Police Chief

If you believe the September 24 story in the Valley News, then one must wonder about the seemingly nonchalance of Norwich Town Manager Fulton about Police Chief Robinson looking to Thetford for a new job.

The Valley News reports that the Town Manager did not know that Robinson was a candidate, until Fulton read about it on the Thetford listserv.  That seems strange, since in June, Town Manager Fulton negotiated the contract with Thetford for Chief Robinson to act as interim chief.  No courtesy call to Fulton by Robinson or by Thetford?  Perhaps next time we lend out our officials, the agreement should say no poaching.  Stranger still, if the story is accurate, Fulton and Robinson have “not discussed his potential departure.” Why?

Although the Town Manager said the Chief “does a great job,” the Town Manager was not quoted as saying he wants the Chief to stay. Maybe that was an oversight by the Valley News or it goes without saying.  The article reports that Fulton has no worries about “filling the position because of Norwich’s competitive salary.” On this point, Fulton is wrong.  Changing police chiefs will be a distraction and disruption to the community, even with a perfect hire.   Money is not keeping Robinson, since the Thetford job pays less.  

Godspeed to Chief Robinson, whether he stays in Norwich or moves to Thetford. The Thetford Selectboard meets Monday evening.

The Valley News story is at http://www.vnews.com/news/townbytown/thetford/13681516-95/interim-chief-is-finalist-in-thetford-norwich-polices-robinson-is-one-of-three-in



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