Archive for Cohasset Selectmen
02.15.13
Posted in Governance at 4:35 PM by Tanna K
This article was written by several local attorneys, a few Cohasset citizens, and had input from two south shore town managers. It is important that the Governance committee take a new look at its draft proposal and consider the comments here-in. This is an important document. It will govern the Town of Cohasset for who knows how many years to come. What is this document the Cohasset Governance committee has pieced together? Is it a totally new constitution or is it an amendment? Our writers say it may be a Town Administrator form of government. If so, it should go to ballot.
This past week the Cohasset Governance committee posted what it termed a “working draft” for a comprehensive overhaul of the Town Manager Act.
Because it was created following the controversy concerning appointments to the Conservation Commission in July 2011, there has been frustration that the Governance committee focused on the role of the Town Manager rather than on its initial charge that was to look into the reasons why Selectmen Paul Carlson, Lee Jenkins and Fred Koed replaced several veteran commissioners with people sympathetic to the position of the self-styled E-20 citizen’s group on Cat Dam. The posting of the working draft now makes it clear- in a sinister sense- that the future of the Conservation Commission has always been in the forefront of those on the Governance committee particularly, given the its members included Ralph Dormitzer, George Chamillard (who stepped down from the committee last summer only after a local newspaper repeatedly pointed out his conflict on serving on the Advisory committee and Governance), and Michael Milanoski who is presently the acting Town Manager, and who initially served as chairman of Governance.
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Posted in Governance at 10:51 AM by Tanna K
Cohasset Governance Committee
February 13, 2013
Dear Citizens:
In the Fall of 2011 the Board of Selectmen created the Governance Committee to review governance in the Town of Cohasset. Our charge was to “Identify any area of the Cohasset Governance Structure that may be improved to provide better governance including accountability and effective/efficient use of limited tax payer dollars”.
Since the spring of 2012 the committee has been reviewing the Town Manager Act. The Act defines the role and the powers of the Selectmen and the Town Manager in the performance of their duties. We have completed the review and have attached a draft of the Act with our proposed changes for your review. Click to Read: DraftTMAct
Current Town Manager_Act
The objectives of the review were:
- to clearly define the responsibilities of the Town Manager relative to the Board of Selectmen and the citizens of Cohasset
- to simplify and organize the Act so it is a clear and logical document
- to correct errors in content or language
- align the language of the Act with Massachusetts General Law and the town’s by-laws
The next important step in revising the Town Manager Act is to solicit feedback from the community so that your comments and suggestions can be considered in the final draft which will be presented at the Annual Town Meeting on April 22nd for a vote.
Due to the complexity of the document and the anticipated number of comments we expect to receive from the community, we are asking that all comments and suggested changes to the draft be submitted in writing to the Chairman. You may submit your written comments to governance@townofcohasset.org or to the drop box located at Town Hall (Clerk’s Office, 1st Floor). The last day for submission of comments to be considered for inclusion in the article is 5pm Monday, March 4th.
We have scheduled two public forums on February 28th and March 7th at the High School community room at 7:00pm to review the changes to the Act and to answer any questions you may have.
The draft of the Town Manager Act published here is also posted on the town website, along with the Town Manager Act of 1997 for comparison.
We welcome all comments and look forward to seeing you at the public hearings on February 28th and March 7th.
Christine Cunning
Chairman
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02.06.13
Posted in Cohasset Selectmen, Tanna Kasperowicz at 1:02 PM by Tanna K
As Cohasset Selectmen get deeper and deeper in trouble, Town Counsel Paul DeRensis’ letters to the Attorney General and others become more tortured.
DeRensis’ response to the Attorney General was written with regard to an Open Meeting Law complaint Selectman Martha Gjesteby filed against her board.
DeRensis’ 3-page letter on behalf of Selectmen noted Gjesteby’s charges and responded that the Board of Selectmen had taken actions to address the allegations and to ensure that future meetings would be posted in compliance with the Open Meeting Law. The DeRensis letter also stated that Selectmen would address other matters related to the Acting Town Manager as appropriate when those matters arise.
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Posted in Governance, Tanna Kasperowicz at 12:49 PM by Tanna K
Thursday morning (Feb 7) at 7:30 a.m. Cohasset Governance will discuss changes to the Town Manager Act suggested by the Town Counsel including part of the original act that allows the Town Manager complete assess to privileged documents and personal information. (See preceding blog.)
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02.05.13
Posted in Governance, Tanna Kasperowicz at 8:25 PM by Tanna K
Town Counsel Paul DeRensis met with Governance chair Christine Cunning and her committee for over two and a half hours Monday night regarding the legal ramifications of their work on changes to the Town Manager Act.
A lively and interesting discussion revolved around part of the present act that states, in the original Act. Especially, because Selectman Martha Gjesteby is challenging the right of the town manager to “troll” thorough her E-mail and has filed a complaint with the Attorney General.
The town manager shall have access to all municipal books, papers and documents or information necessary for the proper performance of the duties of said town manager. Said town manager may, without notice, cause the affairs of any division or department under the manager’s supervision or the conduct of any officer or employee thereof to be examined.
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01.30.13
Posted in Cohasset Selectmen, Tanna Kasperowicz at 1:26 AM by Tanna K
It is good that Cohasset Selectmen voted 3-1 (Leland Jenkins) with one abstention (Martha Gjesteby) to not file a second ethics complaint against Selectman Martha Gjesteby, who is trying to recover from hip surgery, no thanks to her board.
Selectman Diane Kennedy set the mood and tense of the 9:15 agenda item that was discussed around 10:30.
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01.18.13
Posted in Cohasset Selectmen, Tanna Kasperowicz at 8:37 PM by Tanna K
Cohasset Selectman Martha K. Gjesteby has filed an Open Meeting Law Complaint against her board of selectmen alleging that on Dec. 18th the agenda topic for an executive session did not comply with the requirement of the specificity under the Open Meeting Law.
Gjesteby said, the posted meeting notice must include a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed at the meeting. Gjesteby said “The posted agenda was required to identify the individuals whose contracts were being discussed.” Gjesteby said the vote to enter executive session similarly failed to identify the individuals whose contracts were being discussed.
1. At the Dec 18th meeting Gjesteby alleges there was an attempted discussion of the employment of Acting Town Manager Michael Milanoski. “Because this discussion was not posted on the meting notice, it should not have occurred.”
2. Gjesteby further alleges that…”During executive session the Acting Town Manager attempted to raise a dispute with me involving an e-mail that I sent to a third party, which he apparently obtained even thought he was not a named recipient in the e-mail exchange. The Board of Selectmen then engaged in a discussion of the alleged disclosure of this e-mail, including a discussion of potential future recourse. The discussion of the alleged disclosure was not a proper topic for executive session (Gjesteby quotes the statute here) and also was not part of the basis for entering executive session (another law quoted). And therefore should not have occurred in executive session.”
- Gjesteby says she wants a recission of any action taken, an order concerning the scope of matters relating to the Acting Town Manager that must be deliberated in open session, acknowledgement that the Board of Selectmen violated the notice and executive session provisions of the Open Meeting Law in connection with the Dec. 18, 2012 meeting, and such other relief that may be just and equitable.
- The Cohasset Board of Selectmen has, likewise, filed charges against Gjesteby. But we have not been privy to that charge. Initially, they planned to file a criminal complaint for Gjesteby having shared a confidence with a legal authority. We understand their complaint has now been downsized to an ethics complaint.
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01.16.13
Posted in Cohasset Selectmen, Tanna Kasperowicz at 9:45 PM by Tanna K
Acting Town Manager Mike Milanoski’s new contract signed and effective Jan. 15, 2013 is an amazing one for a town that has the 10th highest tax rate in the state and wants town unions to take no raises this year — after Milanoski and other town officials bragging for months about the $1MM it made in new growth.
Starting Jan. 15th, Milanoski is making $150,000 a year with 5 weeks vacation plus $300 a month in addition to his regular compensation. People who have served their companies for many years get five weeks vacation. Doesn’t usually happen with new hires that have served the town less than a year. Some people get that kind of vacation after 20 years.
It is interesting that Milanoski doesn’t wish to use a town purchased cell phone, but never mind, the town will reimburse him for his personal plan. Milanoski has been tracking employees’ cell phone usage, threatening to fire them if he finds any personal calls. Perhaps he’s afraid his personal calls will catch up to him, as personal calls are wont to do.
Milanoski has to work, at a minimum, the same number of hours, as the Office of the Board is open to the public. He has to be available to meet with the public on Tuesdays. And he is permitted to devoting no more than eight hours per week for his private consulting providing that such efforts are outside the normal business hours of Town Hall. One citizen commented:
“This man hardly keeps any normal business hours. Just how would that work?” Yes indeed, how
Article 4 Sect. 4.2 of the contract says “Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the BOARD from increasing MILANOSKI’S compensation at its discretion in the event additional duties are assigned to him nor shall it be construed to require an increase in compensation in such event.” But you know how this board loves to give Milanoski money. If elections don’t put a stop to this – Milanoski will be at $170,000 in no time at all.
The vote on Milanoski’s contract was 4-1 – with Selectman Martha Gjesteby voting no.
FACT: Milanoski now makes more than Gov. Deval Patrick.
Less than a year ago Mike Milanoski was following Mike Coughlin around town learning how to do the job. Then last February when Coughlin was fired Milanoski volunteered to “help out the town” until Selectmen could find themselves a professional town manager. The next thing we knew, Milanoski was named town manager, this in spite of the fact that he had not been separated from his appointed jobs with the town long enough to qualify under the Town Manager Act.
A search committee never vetted Milanoski. Selectmen had never seen his resume. He was just…”Ted’s (former selectman Ted Carr) neighbor,” and that was good enough for the Cohasset Board of Selectmen. He started last April with a $115,000 contract. Last September selectmen upped his salary to $132,500 – and five months later selectmen gave him a new contract and upped his salary another $20,000 to the $150,000 he has enjoyed since Jan. 15, just a few days ago.
Milanoski’s new $150,000 contract says he is an acting town manager, but his contract is for a year, and acting town managers aren’t supposed to get one-year contracts. They’re supposed to get letter contracts in 3 and 6-month stages. They hardly accrue any vacation time because during this time the town fathers and mothers are supposed to be advertising for a professional town manager that will be vetted by a proper screening committee.
Town Counsel Paul DeRensis advised selectmen to keep Milanoski on the old, illegal contract through June and then do a 6-month acting town manager contract through December, but selectmen ignored DeRensis’ advice.
Actually – selectmen are tired of DeRensis not agreeing with them and they are seeking proposals from a new town counsel firm. They say they’re putting out some other RFP’s also, but town counsel services was the only one Selectman Diane Kennedy mentioned.
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01.14.13
Posted in Cohasset Selectmen, Tanna Kasperowicz at 10:31 PM by Tanna K
It is like Groundhog Day. The Movie in which a man relives the same day over and over again until he gets it right. He is never told exactly what he is to do in order to stop the repetition. But then he begins to notice that when he is nice to people he moves a little further along into the day.
You are a Cohasset resident reading the new Cohasset Selectmen’s Agenda and you wonder, isn’t this last week’s agenda? Didn’t they do this before? Yes. They did.
At this week’s meeting Selectmen will meet at 6:30 p.m. in executive session over the illegal town manager’s acting town manager contract.
At 7:10 p.m. Selectmen will meet in open session over the illegal town manager’s acting town manager contract.
At 9 p.m. Selectmen will meet in executive session over the acting town manager contract that was written for the illegal town manager.
And after the executive session Selectmen are scheduled to hold a public discussion of the executive session which they were supposed to do last week but which never happened.
It is unclear what issue the public discussion is about.
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01.09.13
Posted in Cohasset Selectmen, Tanna Kasperowicz at 4:10 PM by Tanna K
It appears selectmen plan to sign a “legal” acting town manager contract with Mike Milanoski in the near future, unless they shop for a different opinion and offer him a town manager’s contract in March. Town Counsel Paul DeRensis says he cannot currently step into a town manager’s contract until he is separated from the town for one year or until such time as the town manager’s act is changed to allow the same. Other unnamed counsels disagree with DeRensis, and it is thought selectmen may just say what the hell and choose a different opinion.
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