Sherborn Personnel Board Gathers Information Pertaining To Board Of Selectmen Accusations

The Sherborn Personnel Board met on Tuesday to confer on how to respond to accusations made by members of the Board of Selectmen, at their meeting on July 21, of not looking out for the interests of the town and recording inadequate minutes.

The claims were brought up in the meeting by Selectmen Chair Tom Twining and Selectman Paul DeRensis. Twining told the Personnel Board that poorly recorded minutes, unsatisfactory stewardship of the Sherborn Fire Department’s payroll, and poor communication involving investigations into the Fire Department’s two sexual harassment complaints have left the town open to litigation.

Chair of the Personnel Board Grace Sherpard and committee members Ron Arrigo and Judi Miller retrieved emails between themselves, Town Counsel, and the Selectmen regarding sexual harassment complaints at the fire department, which the Selectmen said they never received. 

The Selectmen, at their July 21 meeting, also stated that the discussions of the sexual harassment lawsuits were not noted in the Personnel Board minutes. 

Shepard cited in Tuesday’s meeting, an email in which Town Counsel advised the Personnel Board not to be involved in the case. She also cited the August 18, 2010 Selectmen minutes in which Personnel Board members were asked to investigate the suits as skilled individuals not as Personnel Board members, in order to save the town approximately $3,000 from not hiring an outside investigator.   

Shepard also noted an email from DeRensis in which he received an opinion from Assistant Town Administrator Diane Moores, stating that Town Counsel advised that open laws would interfere with a sexual harassment investigation by the Personnel Board.

At Tuesday’s Personnel Board meeting former Fire Chief and current Deputy Fire Chief Jon Dowse said when the complaints were made in the firehouse he informed then-Town Administrator Dan Keyes of the situation. “I was in constant communication with Dan Keyes,” said Dowse. He added it is the Town Administrator’s job to keep the Selectmen informed. 

According to the Personnel Board, in the Selectmen’s August 26 meeting minutes it states that Keyes informed the Selectmen, Town Counsel and the town’s insurance company within three weeks of the filing of a sexual harassment complaint in the fire department.

Miller said she has since resigned from the Town Administrator Search Committee and may not attend the next Selectmen’s meeting. “I was not treated well by the Board of Selectmen. I’m a volunteer and don’t want to be subjected to that abuse again.”

Arrigo said he expects Twining to come to the next Selectmen’s meeting with research on what the town’s charge is for the Personnel Board. Miller said the charge of the Personnel Board is to, “provide advice to the town, as requested by the town regarding the Personnel Administration Plan.”

“I do want to defend us against these allegations, which are inaccurate,” said Shepard.

In regard to the Personnel Board recording their minutes poorly, Shepard said, “I’m not sure our minutes are that bad.”

She said in the past she used to forward their minutes to the Selectmen but has stopped. She added, “It is a reasonable request to forward the minutes.” She believes this issue may be “the growing pains” of the open meeting law.