By JEFF EPSTEIN
[email protected]
SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — In a rare move driven by the applicant’s own hand, the select board declined Monday night to re-appoint Richard Filion to the Downtown Design Commission.
The vote was 2 ayes and 3 nays. Chair Kristi Morris voted in favor of the motion to re-appoint Filion, and the other aye vote appeared to be newly-elected member George McNaughton. Members Peter E. MacGillivray, Michael Martin and Walter Martone appeared to vote against to motion to approve. The board went into executive session to discuss personnel issues immediately after the end of the regular meeting.
Martone was the first selectmen to raise an objection to the re-appointment, stating, “The way the person filled out the application suggests he did not take the application process seriously.”
Town officials made a copy of Filion’s application available to the Eagle Times. In the application space for “Reason(s) for desiring office” Filion wrote by hand, “To keep common sense on the board.”
Below that, in the space for “Please state reason(s) you feel make you qualified for the office”, Filion wrote: “Because I have common sense not brain washed.”
At the bottom of the application, he wrote: “Who do you already have to take my place that won’t last more than six months like you did on the Planning Commission.”
The comments were “disrespectful,” Martone said.
“I agree the comments were not appropriate,” Martin said.
After the meeting, the Eagle Times contacted Filion by phone but could not establish a good cellular connection to talk. An email to his listed email address bounced.
In other action, the select board made several other appointments, including the reappointment of Bonny Andrews to the other seat on the Downtown Design Commission. It also approved several liquor licenses.
Town Manager Tom Yennerell told the board that bids for the South Street sidewalk project were opened March 6, and the lowest qualified bid was within the project budget. He did not identify the bidder, and the contract has not yet been awarded.
Yennerell also thanked the voters for approving the town budget and special articles, and asked for patience with road maintenance during an “extraordinarily difficult winter.”
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