HomeMy WebLinkAbout1971-12-15-APPOINT-min.pdf Stephen Politi
COMMITTEE TO REVIEW APPOINTMENT PROCEDURES
MINUTES, MEETING OF DECEMBER 15, 1971
The meeting was called to order at 7;55 p.m. by Chairman
Frank T. Parrish, Jr. Present were Mary Louise Burri, Arthur
Burrell, John Harvell, George McCormack, Stephen Politi, Sam
Silverman, and Weiant Wathen-Dunn. Our guest was State Representative
and Moderator Lincoln P. Cole, Jr.
In making appointments, Mr. Cole explained that he always
tries to find a balance on committees and that his pool of potential
appointees included Town Meeting Members, former Town Meeting I.embers,
as well as persons he knew outside of town government as well
as the friends of friends.
Mr. Cole reported that as Selectmen Chairman names were
proposed to him by other Board members and by citizens who were
interested in an appointment themselves or who knew someone who might
be interested . He stressed the importance of encouraging and
bringing along new people and new ideas.
As Moderator, Mr. Cole emphasized that he would appoint
persons to both the Capital Expenditures and Appropriations Committees
for a maximum of two terms. Although he has made exceptions, Mr. Cole
said that the two term limit was in the best interest of the town as
well as the appointee himself.
Refering to the Comptroller and Town Counsel as employees of
the town, Mr. Cole said that these positions should be long term ones
and not un for grabs every year. With regards to other positions ,
however, he thought that the flexibility of yearly appointments
far outweigh any possible benefits of a tenure system.
Questioned as to how those who. Make appointments ultimately
ludge the competence of their appointees, ir. Cole replied that if
a person was not doing his lob he would not be re-appointed but
that if he was performing his duties adequately that it would be
difficult not to re-appoint him. He cited the Board of Assessors
as an example of a Board where one person was not re-appointed and
where another resigned because they had not been performing their
full duties.
Concluding, Mr. Cole termed the present appointment procedure
self protective and indicated that he couldn' t see a more viable
alternative at the present. He admitted that the present system was not
perfect,however, but reminded the Committee that it was impossible
to have a 100`' perfect government year in and year out. He emphasized
that the citizen' s redress was at the polls.
It was unanimously voted at 10 15 to eliminate, for the time
being, further consideration of changes involving amendments to the
Town Managers Act. It was also voted to solicit the opinions of
private citizens through an article in the IY nute-man.The meeting