New Board of Selectmen meets

Middlebury’s newly elected Board of Selectmen, left to right, Selectman Elaine Strobel (R), First Selectman Edward B. St. John (R) and Selectman Michael McCormack (D) met for the first time Dec. 21. (Marjorie Needham photo)

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

Middlebury’s new Board of Selectmen (BoS) met for the first time on Dec. 21, approximately two weeks after they were sworn in by Town Clerk Edith Salisbury. Selectman Elaine Strobel and First Selectman Edward B. St. John, both Republicans, were re-elected. The lone Democrat on the board, Michael McCormack, a first selectman candidate, garnered more votes than the incumbent minority party selectman, Democrat Ralph Barra, so could serve as a selectman if he so chose.

On Dec. 8, the day newly elected officials were sworn in, McCormack resigned as chairman of the Board of Finance so he could serve as a selectman. He was sworn in several hours later in the ceremony at Shepardson Community Center.

At the Dec. 21 meeting, selectmen voted to offer members of the Middlebury Police Department an incentive to retire early. They also approved the contract for Acting Police Chief Francis Dabbo, who will take over for departing Chief James Viadero when he leaves Middlebury to become the police chief in his home town of Newtown.

After McCormack took his place at the table Dec. 21, the meeting moved right to the pledge of allegiance and consideration of agenda items. After handling routine matters, St. John motioned to approve the contract for Dabbo, and Strobel seconded it. St. John said to McCormack, “Mike, normally we make the motion and get a second and then discuss the motion.”

McCormack asked for clarification of “extra duty overtime” in the contract, noting that management usually doesn’t get paid overtime. Town counsel Bob Smith explained past acting chiefs were lieutenants and remained lieutenants while they were acting chiefs. Smith said Dabbo is not a lieutenant and is not a union member, so he won’t get special duty; he will get time-and-a-half for overtime, but that overtime will not be for working late during the day. Instead, it will be overtime pay when there is a personnel shortage for events like the Rev3 Triathlon at Quassy Amusement Park and Dabbo needs to help out. St. John said in that case the vendor reimburses the town for the overtime cost.

The contract between the town and Dabbo became effective Dec. 27, 2015. It is a 9-month contract that ends June 30, 2016, but could terminate earlier if the town hires a permanent police chief before then. The contract also can be extended in three-month increments.

The town will pay Dabbo a salary based on $90,000 a year. Dabbo may not work extra duty during this time, but he may work overtime outside of his scheduled work day with approval from the first selectman. St. John said the town doesn’t have enough police personnel for events like the Rev 3 triathlon at Quassy Amusement Park, so that would be an event Dabbo would likely work. The BoS unanimously approved the contract.

The next item on the agenda was the voluntary retirement incentive offer for police officers. It covers those who are eligible for retirement or would become eligible for retirement during the incentive program window of Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, to Thursday, March 31, 2016. Those officers who elect to retire will receive one additional year of credited service at the current applicable prevailing wage rate on the effective date of their retirement. First Selectman Edward B. St. John confirmed the offer is limited to police officers and does not apply to other town employees.

McCormack asked town counsel Bob Smith, who drew up the offer, what the town was trying to accomplish with the offer. Smith said there would be substantial savings to the town if two or three of the highest-ranking officers decide to retire. The new hires would be paid $25.44 an hour compared to the $33.80 an hour those being offered early retirement are paid. He said if two officers retired, the town would save $33,000 in the first year, and even after eight years, the town would be paying less than it is now.

St. John said he talked to the chief about this offer three months ago. He said he hopes the savings from the offer will offset the budget overruns in police overtime. McCormack asked Smith to report back after the offer’s March 31 ending date. The BoS unanimously approved the offer.

In routine matters, the BoS approved the minutes of the Dec. 7 meeting, with St. John turning to McCormack and saying, “Mike, you weren’t here so you can’t vote on that one.” (McCormack was sworn in Dec. 8).

The BoS also approved five tax rebates ranging from $30.70 to $179.45. They appointed Todd Anelli (R) to the Economic and Industrial Development Commission for a five-year term starting Dec. 21, 2015, and they appointed Sandra Young (R) to the Beautification Committee for a four-year term starting Dec. 21, 2015. They reappointed two people, Ted Mannello (R) as a member of the Land Preservation and Open Space Committee for a one-year term starting Dec. 15, 2015, and Janice LeDuc to the Safety and Health Committee for a one-year term starting Dec. 21, 2015.

The next regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen will be Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall Conference Room.