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By ANDREW MARTIN
It did not take long for the new Charlestown Town Council to “hit the ground running,” as one councilor put it.
After each new councilor was sworn-in, the first order of business was discussing the fate of Town Administrator Edward Barrett, who had been hired by the previous council in a 3-2 vote that was shrouded with controversy and hearsay. But this time around, it was clear that the entire council had come to a consensus.
A unanimous vote led to Barrett’s termination after several comments by councilors.
Councilor Gregory J. Avedisian, who was nominated as vice president, said that for any council to be effective, it must have a good working relationship with the town administrator. Even more important, he added, was to have an administrator that the council is confident will work to meet town goals and work effectively with town staff.
“I am not confident that the current administrator will set aside the partisan agenda of the previous council,” Avedisian said. He added that he learned that staff morale was at an all-time low and that citizens had described town hall as inaccessible. “To overcome this, we need to find a new administrator,” he said.
Councilor Forrester C. Safford agreed. He said that Barrett treated the last council as if there were only three members, in reference to Bruce Picard, James M. Mageau, and John O. Craig Jr., the latter of whom resigned this past summer. “I saw too much of that over the last two years,” Safford added.
The council then had to appoint an acting administrator, or co-administrators as it turned out, until the position is permanently filled. A unanimous vote landed that title on two town hall workers, Town Clerk Jodi LaCroix and Tax Assessor Kenneth Swain. In the meantime, a search committee will work to find a new administrator.
The next item on the docket was to determine Town Solicitor Robert E. Craven’s future. Although the council agreed that he has done a stellar job – Avedisian even called Craven “the one bright spot from the last council” – the councilors wanted to switch things up.
Per Safford’s recommendation, the council unanimously agreed to hire former solicitor Peter Ruggiero as the attorney for the town council and planning board. Craven, on the other hand, will work with the Zoning Board and Probate Court and work as the town’s prosecutor.
Councilor Richard Hosp at first preferred to delay the decision on the solicitors until the next meeting, but he ultimately went with the majority. Although she understood his concern, councilor Charlene Dunn said she would like to see the new council hit the ground running as much as possible.
Craven responded to the council’s decision by saying he would be more than happy to fill his new role. He added that the people he has worked with on various town committees are “some of the finest people I’ve seen do public service.”
The council then unanimously re-appointed Town Solicitor for Indian Affairs Joseph S. Larisa Jr. During the council comment portion of the agenda, each councilor thanked the voters and those who showed up to the meeting. They also recognized Rep. Donna M. Walsh, District 36, and Rep. Rod Driver, District 39, who were in attendance.
“I look forward to working with the four people I sit with and the employees of Charlestown,” council President Marjorie Frank said. She earned her rank by obtaining the most votes in the general election and, per the updated town charter, could have passed on the title. But she accepted it “with humility,” as she put it.
Members of the public were equally enthused with the new council.
Milton Krantz congratulated the council and said he could sense there was a “good feeling here.” “I think that better days are ahead for Charlestown,” he added.
Sharing those sentiments was Faith Labossiere. She thanked the new councilors for being willing to serve the community. She then commented on the fact that the council chambers were packed, with some residents standing against the wall. “I’m just so pleased that so many people are here and it’s evident that we all love Charlestown,” she added.
Then, Mary Taylor, who said she could not make last week’s meeting, minced no words in calling the last council’s two years “mean-spirited.” In particular, she called out former acting President James M. Mageau, who she then thanked for spurring people to create a coalition of people in town who care, also known as the Charlestown Citizens Alliance.
Taylor also thanked Mageau for equally spurring the creation of the charter amendment that allows for the recall of elected officials. “So we’ll never have to endure the likes of Mr. Mageau again,” she added.
Shortly after public comment, the council went into executive session to discuss what Craven said has been dubbed the “so-called LeBlanc property.” The 81-acre parcel, which is located off King’s Factory Road and owned by developer Larry LeBlanc, has been offered to the town for $5.5 million.
Craven said the council voted unanimously to authorize the co-administrators to obtain an appraisal of the property. “[It’s] so that [the council] can have some sense of the value of the property and be able to respond to the offer price,” he explained. To obtain the property, voters would have to approve the acquisition in a referendum.
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