Terranova opposes town accountant rehire

 

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

LYNNFIELD — The selectmen approved the annual slate of reappointment of town officials to numerous posts in town government at their meeting on June 15 by a vote of 2-1.

Town Administrator Jim Boudreau said most of the posts are one-year terms, with the exception of the town accountant and town counsel, which are two-year terms, and the three-year terms for Council on Aging, Board of Appeals, Conservation Commission, Board of Health, Historical Commission and Memorial Day Parade.

Terranova opposes accountant re-appointment

Selectmen Chairman Phil Crawford called for a motion by the board to approve the entire slate of town department heads and officials for reappointment in what is typically a formality.

Selectman Tom Terranova countered with a proposal to “reappoint everyone except the accountant, Julianne McCarthy.”

Before acting on the motion, Crawford clarified with Boudreau that the town accountant “has a two-year term for reappointment under the charter but she has a three-year contract, so she is under contract.” Boudreau concurred that McCarthy is “under contract for another year.”

In that case, Crawford said, McCarthy’s term and her contract “will never sync up” unless the town makes a charter change to the town accountant position. “It makes no sense to leave her out,” Crawford said.

Selectman Chris Barrett offered a counter motion to “appoint all of the candidates for reappointment on the list provided to us.” Crawford offered the second and it passed 2-1.

Terranova began to explain the reasoning for his opposition to reappointing McCarthy to the post but Boudreau ended the discussion by reminding him that “if you wish to discuss her job performance that would have to be done in executive session and she would have to be notified and given a 48-hour notice.”

Back-up inspectors appointed

At the request of Building Inspector Jack Roberto, the selectmen also appointed an additional assistant wiring inspector, Arthur Skinner Jr., and an additional assistant plumbing and gas inspector, Paul Flores.

David Sardella remains as the head wiring inspector and the first assistant wiring inspector is David Mettell. The head plumbing and gas inspector remains Paul Donohoe while the first assistant plumbing and gas inspector is Donald W. LaConte and the second assistant is Stanley Kulacz.

Boudreau said Roberto made this request to give the Inspectional Services Department more flexibility when dealing with absences due to vacations and sickness or heavy workloads so that contractors and homeowners are not held up when they need inspections.

In response to a question posed by Terranova, Boudreau explained that it does not cost the town any additional money to have any assistant inspectors on the list because assistants “only get paid if they work and their costs are covered through the cost of inspections.” The town already shares all of its inspectional services with the town of Wakefield to save on costs while increasing the availability of inspectors and counter service to residents of both towns.

Both Roberto and his assistant building inspector, John Luther, were re-appointed to their respective one-year terms.

Also reappointed to their respective terms were: Council on Aging (3 yr. terms): Anne Hourihan, Fred Santangelo, Brian Lopez; Board of Appeals (3 yr. terms): John Fallon; Town Clerk Trudy Reid; Assistant Town Clerk Diane Hammerbeck; Conservation Commission (3 yr. terms): Donald Gentile and Melanie Lovell; Constables: Paul Minsky, John J. Ruehrwein, Ronald J. Small.

Also, Town Counsel (2 yr. term): Thomas Mullen; Dog Officer: Jon Procurot; Assistant Dog Officer: Jean Procurot; Emergency Management Director Fire Chief Mark Tetreault; Assistant Emergency Management Director Fire Captain Michael Feinberg; Finance Committee (3 yr. term): Jack Dahlstedt, Thomas Kayola; Board of Health (3 yr. term): Richard Peinert, M.D.; Historical Commission (3 yr. terms): Steven Richard, Steven Todisco.

And, Ipswich River Watershed Advisory Board: Jerry Pezzella; Lock-up Keeper: Police Chief David Breen; Police Special Officers: Hartley Boudreau, John Conley, Richard Lamusta, Charles Peabody; Reading Municipal Light Dept. Citizens’ Advisory Board (3 yr. term): David Nelson; Recreation Commission (3 yr. terms): Frank Morelli, Robert Relihan; Treasurer/Tax Collector: Christine O’Sullivan; Pretax Plan Administrator: Christine O’Sullivan, and Veterans’ Services Agent: John H. Kimball III.

Published in the June 24, 2015 edition