8/16/2019 Chairman Gary Von Stange Email Comments

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Comments by Selectboard Chairman Gary von Stange via email on Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Over the past two years the Selectboard (SB) instituted several measures to foster an

environment of openness and transparency, to foster dialogue between town boards, and toencourage civility at meetings. Previously, only SB members received documents relating to

agenda items. Now, we have (i) town-wide information - everything the SB receives is

available to everyone in town through annotated agendas, posted on the town web site, FrontPorch Forum (FPF), and offered through an email distribution list, which include all the

materials the SB receives on every item, (ii) Weekly Manager Reports –  posted on the town

web site, FPF, and offered through an email distribution list, (iii) seminars to help educateour boards so that every volunteer can learn about Open Meeting Laws, Public Documents,

Ethics, Disclosures and Recusals, when to recuse and when it would be inappropriate to do

so, (iv) Commission, Board and Committee Reports - to foster dialogue between boards,

(v) Rules of Procedure that do not permit cross-examination of someone coming before the

 board with all questions and comments directed to the board, (vi) an Amended Ethics andConflict of Interest Ordinance, which purpose is to establish standards of conduct and

guidance, serving as a statement to define and codify the Town’s expectations andrequirements for ethical behavior of its public officials. This helps ensure that town board

members are independent, impartial, and responsible, free from conflicts of interest. And it

fosters an environment where everyone is treated fairly and equally, without special

advantage, and (vii) a new Town Web Site launched in April 2015 that is user friendly andinteractive opening town government for all residents. It includes an online calendar of

events.

We want all residents to have the same information we have. We have to be open and

transparent. And for years, particularly due to these changes, the Selectboard has beencivil. Board members have been respectful, all have had an opportunity to speak andthe board has been productive.

Colleen Parker and John Kerr are on their third and second years on the board

respectively. I am on my eighth year. Working with Colleen and John has been a

 joy. They are productive, intelligent, compassionate, prepared and without hesitationthey embrace civility. In March 2016, two new members were elected to the SB. One

of the new members, Jerry Story, is professional, understands civility and has been

 productive.

However, the board is comprised of five members. During the past three months, the

SB, the Town Manager, staff, town residents, town volunteers and those coming before the board have witnessed and been subject to the fifth member’s temper

tantrums, his excessively loud yelling and screaming in public and during private

discussions, his disruptive and unproductive behavior, his interruptions and refusal tolet others speak even when recognized by the Chair, his extremely time-consuming,

self-serving comments, his inappropriate cross-examinations of those coming before

the board, his substantive and procedural ignorance of items being discussed and hisover-the-top hostility.

8/16/2019 Chairman Gary Von Stange Email Comments

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There have been legitimate concerns raised relating to and arising from this member’s

repeated angry tantrums. When will the next tantrum take place and in what form will

it occur. One board member, subject during a televised public meeting of having thefifth board member without warning yell within inches of her, no longer feels safe

walking to her car alone after an evening meeting, nor does she feel comfortable

sitting next to the fifth board member. As a result, as Chair, I now make sure she hasan escort and I have rearranged board seating so the fifth member no longer sitsalongside her.

On April 16th, the SB held a retreat during which relationship between the SB and the

Town Manager was discussed and an action plan agreed-upon to try to address

tensions. It was agreed that each of the five board members would immediately speakto the Town Manager in person. Within days, four of the five board members lived up

to that agreement. Six weeks later, the fifth member still has not lived up to the

agreement. In fact, the fifth board member refuses to speak with the Town Manager at

all.

I have been told that other members of the Board have individually reached out to thefifth member to encourage cooperation, to ask that he end his hostility and negativityand to plea for basic civility. The requests have fallen on deaf ears.

While the fifth member has sought to frame the issue as a difference in style, it is

not. It is difference in civility, in productivity, in performance and in conduct.

Gary von Stange

Chair , Shelburne Selectboard