Bradford, Vt.’s first recreation director has been dismissed.
Bonna Wieler, of Stafford, had been the town’s part-time recreation director since September 2014, six months after the position was approved at town meeting.
Wieler said she was informed she’d be fired during an executive session meeting with the Selectboard on July 28.
According to the Journal Opinion, the Selectboard voted to terminate her in a nonpublic session during its regularly scheduled meeting last Thursday.
Board Chairman Ted Unkles and Vice Chairman Lisa Sharp Grady could not immediately be reached for comment.
Wieler, 68, said she was surprised and confused by the decision.
“That’s a good question,” Wieler replied when asked for the reasons she was given for her termination. “Part of my job was to be organized and communicative, and I organized so much for the town.”
Wieler said during her tenure that she worked closely with the Bradford Parks and Recreation Commission, a committee appointed by the Selectboard, and indicated her release may have been triggered by a communication issue with the latter.
“I worked with (the Recreation Commission) all the time,” Wieler. “I guess the Selectboard thought I should be working more with the Selectboard.”
An agenda posted for a recent Bradford Parks and Recreation Commission meeting contains an item for job description revisions for the town’s recreation director and park custodian.
Bradford’s recreation director position originally was budgeted for 20 hours per month and $10,000 annually, but increased modestly and was budgeted to 32 hours per month and $12,000 this year.
It is unclear if the Selectboard plans to hire a replacement for Wieler in time for the fall activities season.
Wieler, who runs a business called Bold Paths, which is focused on outdoor activities such as kayaking, led a number of similar programs in Bradford. She also scheduled guided hikes during all four seasons and helped implement felting and crafts activities at the Bradford Senior Center and Bradford Public Library, she said.
Wieler said she has a number of ideas for programs in Bradford this fall and hopes to be hired as an independent contractor to establish them.
“That’s the idea, but it hasn’t been approved yet,” she said.
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.