Board of Selectmen 
Meeting Minutes
September 8, 2008

Meeting called to order at 6:32 pm.
Present: Jim Huber, Bill Martell, Kim Leahey, Jim Duda, Fred Vanderbeck.
Absent: Selectman Ed Martin

CRUISER COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS
Jim Huber made motions to appoint the following individuals to the “Bucket Loader” committee:

Ken Aldrich, Earl Fay, and Tony Cohn-Haft;

Chairman Martell seconded all; motions passed unanimously.

Selectmen directed Leahey to inform the appointees within 48 hours.

It was further decided that the committee would meet for the first time on Thursday, September 18 at 7 pm at the Rhodes building.

CITIZEN REQUEST
Jim Duda attended the meeting to request a one-day liquor license for a fundraiser to benefit the Amherst Ballet. Jim Huber made a motion to grant the one-day license to Duda for Saturday, October 4th, Bill Martell seconded, motion passed unanimously.

DPW
A discussion was had surrounding the resignation of James Kicza from the department and the plan to hire; Chairman Martell and Selectman Huber both expressed a desire to read the “Help Wanted” ad that Superintendent Adamcek drafts to be run in the papers. It was noted that Adamcek has expressed the desire to hire a Driver/Laborer and not a Mechanic/Foreman. A minor discussion was had regarding the fact that Kicza will be paid for the vacation time that he has earned and not used.

EXECUTIVE SESSION
Selectman Huber made a motion to move to Executive Session and not reconvene the regular meeting, Chairman Martell seconded.

The meeting moved to Executive Session.

The purpose of the Executive Session, as outlined by the Selectmen, was to discuss the possible discipline or dismissal of John Jerome, a “call firefighter” who has been on disability leave since March of 2002.

The meeting is a result of Jerome’s refusal to respond to three letters sent to Jerome within the past five months; Certified, Return Receipt, requesting an update of his condition and a current doctor’s report.

Chairman Martell explained to Jerome that during last year’s audit, the auditors had questioned why the Town continues to pay his salary.

Jerome reported that since November 2003, he has been working first shift at Western New England College in the housekeeping department as a “full-time caregiver”. He said that this schedule makes it difficult for him to make an appointment to see his doctor and get the necessary information.

When asked, he supplied this report of the incident which caused his disability leave: the department was fighting a fire on North Valley Road a little after 5pm when he “felt like somebody punched” him. He was transported to the hospital where he was “hooked up to stuff”. He said the eventual diagnosis was “Brugada’s syndrome” and that his primary care physician is Andrew Hall, M.D. He reports that he sees his physician “every three months”.

He said that his continued participation on the department is a problem because “I’m a liability”.

Jerome promised to “take a day or two” off from work “to straighten this out”. Jerome also reported that he had been communicating, casually, with the Fire Chief and believed that the Chief would pass on the information and thereby fulfill his (Jerome’s) obligation to respond.

After discussion, Selectman Huber made a motion to give Mr. Jerome two weeks (by the BOS mtg scheduled for 9/22) to come up with documentation requested; Martell seconded; the motion passed unanimously.

Huber made a motion to adjourn at 7:14pm, Martell seconded, motion passed unanimously.

Respectfully submitted,
Kim Leahey