Divisions Apparent at Adams Board of Selectmen Meeting
ADAMS, Mass. — On the evening when the Board of Selectmen selected the town's new police chief, some old tensions in the panel were on display.
A 40-minute discussion during last Thursday's virtual meeting on the Zoom platform saw the chair saying she felt "attacked" by a colleague and that colleague saying service on the board is "kind of a downer."
In the end, an apparent olive branch was rejected and the meeting was abruptly adjourned.
The tension began to surface about 18 minutes into the discussion that ultimately led to a 3-1 vote to offer the post to K. Scott Kelley.
That is when Joseph Nowak asked his colleagues whether any of them had discussed the two finalists for the position with interim Chief Troy Bacon.
"I have to ask a question, and this is based on honesty," Nowak said. "Honesty is very important to me. I know Chief Bacon was on the [screening] committee. Was there any conversations with the chief regarding who he thought would be the best for the job? That's an honesty question. Did he give a preference?
"That's honesty."
Nowak used the word honesty two more times -- for a total of six times in just more than a minute before yielding the floor for responses to his question.
In turn, each of his colleagues answered his question, but one challenged Nowak for asking it.
Chair Christine Hoyt reported that she talked to Bacon by phone to ask two clarifying questions coming out of the Wednesday, Dec. 9, interviews of both candidates. She also said she visited the police station twice on Thursday: once to drop off flash drives with recordings of the interviews for officers who were not able to view Wednesday's meeting and once for a farewell gathering in honor of Bacon.
Richard Blanchard told Nowak that he checked with Bacon on Thursday to see if there was any feedback from officers who did watch the interviews and to ask the interim chief's personal opinion.
"Why would you not talk to the resident expert in that career field?" Blanchard said.
"You build a tool bag and use every tool you can possibly get. I had the interviews and the questions I asked answered and all those tools go in the bag to help me form a decision."
John Duval questioned Nowak's purpose in phrasing his question.
"We as board members need to respect each other," Duval said. "To ask a question like that is assuming something was done behind someone's back. … Joe, I respect you. I respect what you do. I don't ask who you talked to. I just listen to what you have to say. I don't insinuate that you did anything wrong or anything like that.
"But I'll answer it."
Duval said he had not had any in-depth conversations with Bacon since the beginning of the interim chief's tenure, and he had his own reasons for putting Kelley's name in nomination.
"To ask those kinds of questions to your fellow board members, we should not have to deal with this, Joe," Duval said. "I respect what you do. I respect your walks around town and getting input from all the people in town. You're a darn good selectman in that way.
"But to start accusing one of us of some wrong-doing is not where I'm going to go. … I respect all four members of our board and what they do and the time they give."
Nowak thanked Duval for his response.
"I appreciate that comment from you, John," he said. "I didn't suspect you'd be one of them who would have talked to [Bacon]."
But Nowak did not back off his decision to query his colleagues.
"I'm not going to apologize for asking that question because, ever since I've served on this board, it's been kind of a downer for me," he said. "It's very hard for me to even want to stay on this board because, I don't know, it's just not what I thought it was. But I'm not going to give up because I'm not a quitter.
"I want to help the Town of Adams, but it's not enjoyable to me. I do my best, but it's become even harder to serve on this board. I'm not going to give the reasons because it's personal."
Eight minutes after the board voted to offer the position to Kelley, Hoyt, without referencing the earlier discussion, reached out to Nowak.
"Joe, I will still offer to meet with you if you'd like to talk about how you and I can move forward," she said. "It is something that I have offered before, and I will offer again. You just let me know what works with your calendar, and I am happy to sit down and discuss moving forward."
Nowak said he had no interest in that idea, suggesting that Hoyt was attempting to "manipulate" him with a one-on-one conversation.
He also said it was a "good gesture" on Hoyt's part, but then he pivoted.
"It's the people of Adams who determine my fate at the voting booth, and, so far, so good for me," Nowak said. "I don't really think I have been to the point where you need to talk to me. It's almost slighting me in public asking me, 'Let's talk.' "
Hoyt insisted that her intention was not to slight Nowak or manipulate him. Rather, she wanted the two to figure out how they can work together.
"Quite honestly, Joe, I feel attacked by you at most meetings, and that is the feedback I receive from a lot of residents," Hoyt said. "I'm just trying to figure out how you and I find a path forward."
Nowak said he was not trying to be "rebellious" but instead doing his job as a member of the board, asking questions and sticking up for the town's residents. He said he always feels like the "odd man out" on the board.
"You said people have been calling you, and maybe they're right," Nowak said to Hoyt. "But I have people calling me also saying, 'I'm glad you stick up for us.' That's how I'll vote."
And that is where Hoyt chose to leave the discussion, asking the panel if it had any other business to discuss that was not on the agenda. Blanchard moved to adjourn, Duval seconded the motion and the meeting broke up seconds later.
