Reporter’s Notebook: Cusher named to Affordable Housing, Padgett dismissed from library committee
It was only a couple weeks ago that Dan Cusher, a member of the Finance Committee, attempted to get on the Affordable Housing Trust and was shot down.
Then-Select Board Chairperson Jennifer Thomas said she didn’t believe Cusher could represent the town in a “positive manner” and his appointment failed, with Doreen DeFazio voting no, Donna Stock abstaining, and Peter Carlson and Ed Prisby voting in favor.
But that was a week before June 23’s town election and the board has changed.
“I feel I owe it to the public and this board an explanation of why I voted nay last time,” DeFazio said. She said she had concerns about his “online behavior,” likely referencing his comments on Facebook. She added that Cusher’s mother, Marilyn, had reached out to her through email for a very polite chat.
“The other vote was not orchestrated in any way, it just landed as it did,” DeFazio said.
Nevertheless, she abstained from the vote and Cusher was appointed the second time around, with Carlson, Prisby, and new members Mathew Often and Colleen Roy voting yes.
Speaking of appointments, the other controversial appointment in June, Brook Padgett’s bid for the Community Preservation Committee, remains intact, but the Select Board opted to kick him off the Library Building Committee.
It wasn’t necessarily anything personal. Padgett has been the Select Board’s appointee to the committee since its inception and asked to retain the seat after leaving the Select Board. With the library now at the stage where the frame is rising, DeFazio argued at first that Padgett should remain to see the project to completion and offered to serve as a non-voting member while still retaining Padgett.
Other members pointed to the library’s cost overruns due to contaminated soil on the property and suggested it might be better for the board to be on top of the project.
“I just think it’s an important signal to the community that we’re doing this,” said Prisby, adding that Padgett would still be available as a resource.
DeFazio was persuaded and accepted the appointment to the Library Building Committee, agreeing that future appointments of board representatives actually be current Select Board members.
“I do support this motion.,” she said. “I think Mr. Prisby has made some excellent points… as much as I like the continuity of having a big project like this having the same members, like Ed said, Brook isn’t going anywhere.”
Carlson, who was for retaining Padgett, was the only nay vote.
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Let’s talk about COVID-19! Grafton is holding steady at 98 cases, with the latest reported on Sunday. Meanwhile, Massachusetts continues to see cases drop and no new deaths were reported Tuesday.
McInerney said the town recently received a check for $764,500 from the state to reimburse some pandemic-related costs, mostly for costs incurred for the schools’ transition into online learning. The town has also applied for FEMA money to offset other costs, including the Grafton Food Pantry’s additional expenses. The town will also apply for state funds that were announced last week for additional school funding.
Speaking of COVID, the Select Board also signed onto the School Committee’s resolution on COVID-19, which will be sent to the town’s legislators.
WHEREAS, schools are to re-open this fall in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the responsibility of each school district to do so safely and responsibly;
and WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the state to ensure that each school district is able to pay for the enormous additional staffing, transportation and material expenses required to do this;
and WHEREAS, the state cannot expect mandatory COVID-19 safety guidelines to be followed without also ensuring that each school district has the funds required to implement these guidelines;
therefore, let it be RESOLVED: that the state must guarantee every school district full reimbursement for whatever COVID-19 expenses are required to follow state mandates. We must ensure a statewide school re-opening that is safe, responsible and equitable.
THERE CAN BE NO UNFUNDED MANDATES FOR COVID-19
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New Select Board members Colleen Roy and Mathew Often weren’t the only new faces on the Select Board Zoom grid. This week, please welcome… Town Administrator Tim McInerney and Assistant Town Administrator Becca Meekins!
McInerney chose to broadcast himself — in mysterious shadows — from the Select Board’s normal chambers while Meekins appeared to be in the comfort of her own home (memo to self: ask about that shade of green on the wall). The pair are normally disembodied voices on the calls due to issues on their usual computers at the Municipal Center.
