GEORGETOWN – The SelectBoard voted last month not to reappoint Rachel Therrien, the Chair, Vice Chair and long-time member of the Conservation Commission (ConCom). She was not invited to speak to the board to advocate for her reappointment, which she wanted to do.
Chair Doug Dawes said it was “my call” not to let Therrien speak because he did not want “controversy.”
With the exception of Therrien, none of the appointees to boards and commissions attended the SelectBoard’s meeting. In the past, all appointees have been invited to share their qualifications and interests with the board and the public, much like interviewing for a job although all are volunteers. Dawes chose to end that tradition.
The Town Common felt Therrien should have a public “exit interview,” so the residents of Georgetown and the SelectBoard could hear her views on the future of the ConCom and its independent enforcement of town regulation of the local bylaw, state wetlands and endangered species laws.
She also shares her perspective on the constant attacks against the ConCom, which have occurred under four consecutive SelectBoard chairs. Two of these former SelectBoard chairs now serve on the ConCom, a board, which the SelectBoard has sought to control.
In the first of three parts, former Chair Rachel Therrien, who has been on the inside of town government for more than a decade, shares with Stewart Lytle, senior reporter, and the public some of what goes on behind closed doors.
Why did you want to be re-appointed and continue to serve on the Conservation Commission? I have devoted myself to the commission for 14 years. It is a passion of mine, my way of giving back to the community and protect our environment and drinking water by upholding the town’s Conservation Bylaw.
What aspects of your tenure on the Commission did you enjoy the most? The most important thing was making connections in the community and having residents feel comfortable enough with me to ask any question, so I could explain what the Conservation Commission bylaw does, so there was no misunderstanding.
I enjoyed learning all the knowledge I gained from our former long-term expert conservation agent Steve Przyjemski and our long-serving (24 years) former commission chairman Carl Sheder – a true treasure trove of knowledge. Also, I enjoyed working with our pricelessly talented administrative assistant Julie Cantera, who was driven out of Town Hall by threats, harassment and bully, which continues to go unchecked.
What aspects of your tenure did you find least enjoyable? Dealing with the bureaucracy that was put in place to destroy the commission and undermine the bylaw. There were constant attacks from certain members of the community who find it amusing to focus on destroying the Commission for their own personal reasons.
I did not enjoy being attacked personally and watching those attacks undermine the Commission and those willing to give their service, time and experience, while the SelectBoard did nothing to stop it and in many cases made it worse.
The fact that the SelectBoard did not understand how the ConCom works made things insufferable. They just wanted to control it, and they’ve pretty much done that by removing so many people and putting in their former Selectboard chairs to control the Commission.
I don’t know what their goal is, as we have not been supplied by the Selectboard members who have harped on the supposed complaints they have received. Three chairs of the ConCom have requested to see the alleged complaints so the Commission could understand, explain or rectify any misunderstandings. It seems these complaints may have been fabricated and used against the ConCom without actual proof. This bluster appear to be merely the Selectboard and a few individuals who seem to want to plow under the last of the remaining wetlands. Seriously, it seems just that and is that blatant.
Did you feel the SelectBoard, other town boards/staff supported you? I don’t think the SelectBoard has supported the ConCom. Their lack of knowledge has led to knee jerk reactions that have done nothing but place the town in harm’s way.
It is disheartening that a member of the SelectBoard who served on and worked for the ConCom seems to have forgotten what the Commission’s mission is about. Being disappointed in Laura Repplier would be too kind of a word. She’s not only stabbed two former ConCom chairs in the back, including me. She offers nothing to the community while seeming to just go along to get along. She just seems to run to the front of the next political parade. Where is she on my list of least-effective politicians? You can guess – she shares the top slot with a couple of other gems. ♦
Next Week. The Town Common’s Exit Interview with Rachel Therrien gives her perspective on the future of the ConCom and why it is so important to the future of Georgetown.
