Plainfield
Town Administrator Steve Halleran said on Thursday he could not comment on the discussions with the town’s attorney, Barry Schuster, of Lebanon, but said the board’s statement makes the town’s perspective clear.
“The Selectboard voted to support what the trustees did, so we are done with it,” Halleran said.
Draft minutes from the board’s meeting state the town met with Schuster at Norwalk’s request and out of that meeting came the following statement: “The Selectboard has unanimously decided to support the actions of the library trustees with regard to the agreement with Nancy Norwalk. It is our belief that the trustees have expended a great deal of effort to achieve a fair solution, and it is our opinion that the results of the mediation reflect that.”
Norwalk’s attorney, Brad Wilder, said on Thursday he was “disappointed” in the Selectboard’s decision but it was too soon to say what he may do next on his client’s behalf.
“I can say this. This is not the end of it,” Wilder said. “There is enough emotion and passion that I don’t see this dying down or the problem being resolved. This only adds fuel to the fire.”
At a Jan. 17 hearing before the library trustees, Wilder told the board that litigation was possible if they did not hire Norwalk back for another year so she could complete her work on the special collections.
Norwalk, the library’s longterm director, had signed a mediated agreement in July 2015 that outlined her duties and pay through Dec. 31, 2016, at which time the library director, Mary King, would have the authority to recommend to the trustees whether Norwalk’s employment would be continued into 2017.
Also as part of the transition agreement — which cost the town more than $20,000 in mediation and attorney fees — Norwalk, who had been with the library since 1976, agreed to become the associate library director for the six months ending on Dec. 31. Norwalk’s duties were focused on the library’s special collections of Plainfield history.
The minutes from the trustees Dec. 2 meeting state that King, in a letter to the trustees, said Norwalk’s work was complete and what was left could be assigned to other employees. Consequently, King said Norwalk’s position should be discontinued. The five trustees agreed the special collections work was sufficiently finished and voted unanimously to support King’s recommendation.
Norwalk then requested a public hearing before the trustees and at that hearing, attended by about 70 residents, Wilder said the work was not done and the board should allow Norwalk a year to complete it. But the trustees voted to uphold their Dec. 2 vote on Norwalk’s position. They did agree to continue the dialogue, which led to this week’s meeting with the Selectboard.
Wilder said the Selectboard had an opportunity to show leadership by recognizing the problem and finding a solution that would bridge the division in town.
“I am disappointed they didn’t do that,” Wilder said.
Selectboard Chairman Ron Eberhardt said on Thursday the board had nothing further to say on the subject beyond the statement issued after the hour-long meeting with Schuster on Wednesday.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
