CORRECTION
In last week’s paper, we referenced and repeated in error, without quotation, from a letter by the Georgetown town administrator citing a March 3rd continued meeting date. The actual continued meeting was that of February 26.
GEORGETOWN – The SelectBoard voted unanimously last week to consider whether Town Administrator Orlando Pacheco followed proper procedure in firing Conservation Commission Director Michele Grenier.
Chair Robert Hoover said the board will review the firing in executive session at the next SelectBoard meeting that has time on the agenda. Although the issue was not on the board’s agenda last week, SelectBoard member Mike Donahue made the motion to consider Grenier’s dismissal, saying he wanted to make sure her dismissal was done correctly.
Donahue told The Town Common after the meeting that he pushed for the review of the firing to make certain “all the rules were followed.” It is unclear if under the current form of town government that the town administrator has the authority to fire employees without the consent of the SelectBoard. (See story on page 2 of new town charter exploration committee.)
Grenier was hired by the ConCom, but the commission has not met on her proposed dismissal. There appeared to be no one acting on ConCom projects now that the director was fired.
The ConCom agent was fired by Pacheco by e-mail and certified mail on a Friday when Town Hall was closed. There was no meeting or vote by the SelectBoard on this termination, which appears to violate the town’s bylaw which states: “In his capacity, the Town Administrator, upon approval by the Board of Selectmen, shall have the authority to carry out the following functions, including but not limited to: A. Appointment and removal of employees.”
Hoover told The Town Common that K&P Law, the law firm on retainer to the town, that it found the firing to have been done properly.
In a letter she is preparing for the SelectBoard members, Grenier wrote there was no cause for her dismissal. “I did not withhold information, did not have an exit interview, or a detailed discussions with a selectman, a conservation member, Orlando and me. As, the select people were not aware. The select people are Orlando’s boss.”
Pacheco fired Grenier, the only ConCom staff, by letter two weeks ago for unspecified behaviors related to a continued ConCom meeting. She was also fired for allegedly concealing a transcript of a Zoom recording of her conversations prior to the meeting.
It is unclear if an investigation was conducted into causes that led to her firing.
“He’s been looking for a reason to fire me,” Grenier said. She has since contacted two attorneys to help her assess her options.
In the termination letter, Pacheco cited a comment by Grenier in the transcript as “unacceptable behavior” for a town employee. He wrote her, “(Y)ou mention that in talking about the Town Administrator that ‘It’s your f… job’.”
The agent, a longtime municipal volunteer and employee, was recorded criticizing Pacheco because computer software to allow employees to work on their personal computers remotely had not been installed, which is his authority. During the snow days recently, Pacheco told the employees they should work remotely for two days, but without the software, that was not possible.
The brief comment about Pacheco had nothing to do with the continued ConCom meeting.
Grenier said she did not know she was being recorded on Zoom and said she did not know there was a transcript of the meeting. Except for a few lines criticizing Pacheco, the three-page transcript chronicles Grenier calling ConCom board members to tell them the meeting was continued for lack of a quorum.
Pacheco also cited a previous disciplinary action against Grenier for filing what was called a false mileage expense report. Having had her driver’s license suspended, Grenier rode in the private car of the former ConCom chair to do her job, visiting projects on sites the commission was reviewing for wetland violations and other issues.
She said she gave the mileage money, about $40 she incurred over several months, to the former chair for using her car and had since reimbursed the town for those payments out of her pocket.
Grenier earlier fought with Pacheco, who serves as the town’s human resources director, when he lowered her salary. When hired, she was told she was also to serve as the conservation agent for the town of Essex.
After a few months, when Essex withdrew from that arrangement, Pacheco cut her salary. ♦
