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Selectmen adopt nonprofit policy in response to OIG, approve harassment-policy rollout
Summary
In response to an OIG recommendation, the board adopted an affiliate-nonprofit policy and designated the Town Administrator to maintain a list of nonprofit partners; the board also approved updated harassment/discrimination/retaliation policy and scheduled employee training.
The Board of Selectmen unanimously adopted a draft affiliate-nonprofit policy Sept. 24, a measure staff said was requested in an Office of Inspector General (OIG) letter. The policy sets standards for how town employees may interact with affiliated nonprofits that engage in fundraising on behalf of town departments, and it outlines record-keeping and reporting expectations.
Following the policy vote, the board unanimously designated the Town Administrator as the selectmen’s designee to maintain the list of nonprofits that engage in fundraising on behalf of the town, its departments, boards or committees. Staff said they will request lists from employees and departments and then maintain the formal registry as required by the OIG guidance.
The board also approved updated employee harassment, discrimination and retaliation policy language and will roll the policy out in conjunction with mandatory employee training scheduled for Oct. 9. Administration emphasized that the policies will be communicated to employees when training is complete and noted that certain items (for example, dress code) may require separate labor/impact bargaining before enforcement.
Town counsel and administration said the nonprofit policy is based on language provided by the attorney general’s office and related guidance; the board instructed administration to proceed with distribution and follow-up steps called for by the OIG letter.
