ADAMS, Mass. — The town's dealing with an exodus in leadership that the chair of the Selectmen attributed to constant beratement, particularly at meetings.
Since last fall, the town's lost its finance director, town administrator, community development director and community development program director.
"There's several employees, especially the ones at the top, have left because of the public comments that have been made to them over months, and they decided it's not worth it," Chair John Duval said at last week's Selectmen's meeting. "Being being berated every week, every two weeks, is not something that they signed up for, and they've gone to a community that doesn't do that, and now we have to try to find somebody to replace these positions."
His remarks came after a discussion over funding for training requested on the agenda by Selectman Joseph Nowak, who said he had been told if they "pay the people good. They're going to stay with us."
"You've got to pay them good, because they're hard to come by, and people are leaving, and they had good salaries," he said. "I wish I could make that much. So that theory doesn't seem to be working."
Duval said the town doesn't have a good reputation now "because of all of the negative comments going on against our employees, which they shouldn't have to deal with. They should just be able to come here and work."
The town administrator, Jay Green,
left after being attacked for so long, he said, and the employees decided "the heck with Adams, we're out of here, we're gone."
Nowak had taken aim at the Massachusetts Municipal Association's local government leadership program at Suffolk University that two departed employees had been scheduled to attend at a cost of $2,800 each.
"We're not gaining anything from it. They're gaining something. So I recommend that this money should be given back to the town of Adams. We get no benefit whatsoever from it, and whoever allowed that to happen," Nowak said as Duval responded "you did." "And Mister Duval. And all due respect, I never voted for that."
Duval pulled out the minutes of the joint budget meeting last spring during which the town administrator and the finance director both requested an increase of $2,800 in their budget to attend the program.
"It was approved by the board members. It was all of us approved that section," he said. "I have the minutes that describe that they raised it by $2,800 to attend this course, and we agreed to it, and we voted for it, and it went to town meeting, and it was contained in the budget."
He agreed with Nowak that there should be a town policy on reimbursements or time spent in the positions to offset losses should an employee leave during or shortly after taking a town-paid training.
But, he said, the town had already reached an agreement with Lenox, which hired the town administrator, over reimbursement and had received a check for $1,680 that day.
"We paid for when he was here and the town of Lenox is going to pay for the courses while he's town administrator in Lenox," Duval said. The finance director left before the course started and the program manager went instead. He's leaving to practice law so the town is speaking with MMA about getting the tuition back for the remaining modules.
"We should discuss the policy that, going forward, that the employees are responsible to pay if they do leave us," he said. "We'll figure it all out."
Selectwoman Christine Hoyt had recused herself from the discussion and sat in the audience as she is a director on the MMA board.
In other business, the board heard an update on the term sheet for the sale of the Memorial Building. Town meeting authorized the sale last year and the Select Board approved an initial term sheet on leasing a portion of the building back to the town for community use.
Lee Smith of KP Law, the town counsel, said an agreement had been reached with the buyer, Michael Mackin of Mackin Construction, that anything over $2 million in grants provided by the town would reduce the rent by the same amount.
The town currently has an agreement of $50,000 a year for 20 years for a fully renovated space, however, the first year would be free and the second $25,000.
Smith said the town so far has put in nearly $1 million in funding, including $500,000 pending in a state bond bill, a brownfields grant for $100,000 and a state One Stop grant for $330,000.
He anticipated having a purchase and sale agreement for the property by the next meeting. Mackin plan on refurbishing the classrooms into residential units and renovating the cafeteria for commercial space. The town will use the gym, auditorium and offices in the southwest corner.
Stephanie Melito was hired as assistant town accountant at an annual salary of $50,023.
"We have a new finance director who's doing double duty and double time," said interim Town Administrator Kenneth Walto said. "Stephanie rose to the top of who's qualified for the position."
Melito has worked in more than one department in the town over last 18 months. She holds a bachelor's degree and has 15 years of banking experience.
Walto said there were numerous applications but he and former town treasurer Mary Beverly only interviewed three internal candidates as best qualified.
Nowak questioned that, saying internal promotion and didn't think Beverly should be sitting on so many interview panels as she's getting a stipend for training finance people in Town Hall.
"It's been my preference if there are qualified candidates internally because it promotes morale and retention in town government," said Walto.
He also assured Nowak that the auditors for fiscal 2024 know about the changes in the finance office. Nowak has pushed for an audit after the departure of the last finance director.
"I spoke with our finance director this afternoon, and she says that our auditors are aware of the changes, and they will be scrutinizing the transactions respective of the people," he said.
Duval pointed out that the town has not done audits in the past when someone left and Hoyt said any audit comes with a cost.
"Do we want to spend over $40,000 every time somebody leaves to do a special audit? That's the cost," she said. Nowak countered that the town's spending money on the solicitor. "Where's that money coming from," he said. Hoyt responded that it was a budgeted retainer.
Nowak also questioned the length of time Adelson & Co. had been doing audits for the town, noting best practice recommends rebidding every five to eight years. Adams has been using this firm for eight.
"I can tell you experience that the firms that can do these governmental audits are few and far between and that's one of the reasons towns hold on to them for a long time," said Walto.
