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Supervisor urges third‑party review after arbitrator reinstates Pawlowski; chair resists
Summary
A board member asked the Town of Hamburg attorney to solicit quotes for an independent investigation into the Pawlowski arbitration, citing possible due‑process failings and taxpayer risk; the presiding official admitted mistakes in the prior internal inquiry and argued against reopening the matter because of cost and the risk of reigniting hostilities.
A board member asked the Town of Hamburg to pursue a third‑party investigation into the handling of employee Pawlowski’s disciplinary case after an arbitrator’s decision restored him to the payroll.
The request, made by Speaker 9, sought that the town attorney solicit requests for quotes for an independent review and said taxpayers deserve an impartial accounting. "We need some unbiased, no party affiliation," Speaker 9 said, arguing that witnesses who were relied on ‘‘weren't so truthful’’ and warning the town could ultimately pay for the case.
Speaker 2, the presiding official, recounted the internal inquiry and accepted personal responsibility for errors he said occurred during the process. He told the board he ‘‘began to act as a prosecutor’’ rather than conducting an inquiry focused on due process: "What I should have done is I should have conducted this with regard to due process considerations and the right for him to discuss things with me," Speaker 2 said, adding he accepted responsibility for that approach.
Despite acknowledging flaws, Speaker 2 opposed commissioning another investigation. He cited the number of prior arbitrations, the variable testimony of nearly two dozen witnesses and the costs involved. "The last thing we need to do is to exacerbate the hard feelings," he said, arguing that reopening the matter would prolong hostilities and further drain town resources.
Several board members weighed in. Speaker 3 said the arbitrator’s 21‑page report and the time and expense already expended argued against reopening: "An independent arbitrator is about as fair and unbiased as you can possibly get," Speaker 3 said, and urged the board to focus on working with Pawlowski as a town employee. Speaker 10 echoed that view and recommended using the episode to strengthen policies and documentation going forward rather than pursuing additional investigations.
Speaker 9 also raised disclosure concerns, accusing some officials of failing to disclose campaign contributions before key votes. Speaker 2 responded that officials have an obligation to disclose appearances of impropriety when casting votes.
No motion to commission a third‑party investigation was adopted during the meeting. Speaker 2 said a formal resolution would be required to proceed and urged those who wanted action to bring a motion for consideration at a future meeting.
The board did not vote to authorize any additional investigation during the session; members instead expressed differing views about whether reopening the case would serve taxpayers or unnecessarily prolong conflict.
