TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA - August 16, 2004

[Wethersfield.com]

EXECUTIVE SESSION – Pending Litigation, Union Negotiations, Real Estate Negotiations and Personnel Matters – Town Manager and Town Clerk

TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA
Wethersfield Town Council
Monday, August 16, 2004
7:00 P.M.
Council Chambers

Pledge of Allegiance

Recording of Attendance by Town Clerk

A. PUBLIC COMMENTS

The Chairman may indicate those matters of unfinished business to be considered.

1. Hearings: None

2. General Comments

General Comments are limited to five minutes.

a. Public
b. Council

B. COUNCIL ACTION

1. Ordinances, Resolutions and Appointments for Action

a. Acceptance of Resignations from Boards and Commissions
b. Appointments to Boards and Commission

2. Unfinished Business

a. Pyquag Village Open Space
b. Blasting Ordinance (referred to Public Safety Committee)
c. * Parking on the Snow Shelf – Change to Town Ordinances
d. * Licensing Agreement for Winding Brook Turf Farm

*Recommend taking these items off of the table

3. Other Business

a. Charter Revision Recommendations
b. Nott Street Project – First Supplemental Agreement
c. SEA Engineering – Wethersfield Cove/MDC
d. Extension of Summer Hours – Physical Services
e. Leasing Contract for Artificial Surface/Cottone Field
f. Budget Transfer - $4302 from Contingency to Data Processing – Motor Vehicle Costs
g. Budget Transfer - $1839 from Contingency to Town Council Public Contributions – Great Hartford Transit District
h. Change Orders – Stillman Building

4. Bids

a. Asbestos Removal – Moeller Home
b. Small Cities Grant – Administrator
c. General Contractor – Town Hall/Library Renovations
d. Bituminous Concrete Pavement – Road Paving
e. Pavement Crack Sealing – Road Paving
f. Pavement Milling – Road Paving


5. Ordinances, Resolutions and Appointments for Introduction

a. Economic Development and Improvement Committee Membership
b. Amendment to Municipal Code, Section 75-5K – Use of microwaves in motels
c. Wethersfield Property Maintenance Code – Enforcement by Central CT. Health District
d. Bonding Ordinance for November Referendum
e. Resolution Regarding the Authorization and Submission of a Grant from the CT. Department of Education to the Department of Social and Youth Services and the Award of Funds from the Grant to The Department of Social and Youth Services


6. Minutes: July 14 , 2004
July 19, 2004



C. Adjournment

[oldetowne]

Not to reopen an old wound, but I was dumbfounded when I read this part of the article in today's Courant:

"During an executive session Monday, the council also completed the evaluation of town clerk Dolores Sassano.

Sassano, a Democrat, was appointed to the town clerk's job several years ago by a Democrat-controlled council then headed by her husband.

In her evaluation, the council was critical of what they termed her "lack" of teamwork. Sassano also received low scores in other areas including quality of work and innovation.

"I really haven't seen any new exciting things happen in the office," wrote one anonymous council member. "Patrons still have issues."

Sassano, who recently received her certification for the job, was also criticized for mishandling a legal notice that forced the town to reschedule a referendum.

Sassano's three staff members, however, also evaluated their boss, giving her higher scores than the council.

"Her appointment was political and she needed to overcome many obstacles and prove she was capable of doing the job," wrote one staff member. "I respect her for maintaining her determination and doing a great job."

Several council members noted that they were not comfortable evaluating an appointee whose work they do not regularly see.

The concerns have prompted Mayor Russ Morin, who heads the Democrat-controlled council, to send the matter to the governing body's personnel committee.

"I think we need a job description for the title and we have to see if there is some way to provide some guidance and better input into the evaluation," Morin said. Both Morin and Sassano have suggested that the town manager should be involved in any future evaluations

While Sassano received a $2,000 raise, bringing her annual salary to $51,000, she expressed concerns over whether the council review was a fair one.

Sassano had requested a much larger increase, noting that her salary was far less than those of town clerks in many similar towns.

"I expected they would be fair and equitable, but I haven't decided if they were yet," she said Tuesday. "In their minds they probably thought they were." "

OK - you're given a lifetime appoinment, in a closed and secret process, by your husband's friends to a job for which you do not possess the qualifications. You do a fair to middling job, a few glaring errors that cost the town time and money, and put in your time. Your two or three subordinates give you slightly higher marks because they don't want to be shunned. A new set of your political allies give you a modest raise and you get upset because it's not more.... What is wrong with this picture?

[LouS]

Thanks for validating what I thought I read this AM.