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Interim manager introduced; selectboard orders audit of police records and will consider interim police arrangements in executive session
Summary
The board introduced interim town manager Steve McKenzie, who outlined priorities including ambulance contract negotiations and reopening the finance director search; the meeting also focused on police‑records security after discovery of banker boxes in a police garage and unresolved key/fob access — the board directed an audit and said executive session would address interim police chief and contract matters.
The Northfield Selectboard introduced Steve McKenzie at the Jan. 13 meeting as the town’s interim manager. McKenzie, a former city manager and engineer, described a part‑time interim assignment and said he will prioritize department head meetings, ambulance contract negotiations and restarting the search for a finance director.
“I have an open door policy,” McKenzie said, describing his approach and noting he intends to meet individually with department heads and distribute a manager’s report in future packets.
Public participation and board discussion turned to concerns about personnel files and the security of police department records. A member of the public said a letter was removed from their personnel file; the board discussed an inventory of “banker boxes” of records stored in the police garage and the need to audit those files.
The chair said the town will pay for an audit of records the board cannot currently access and noted sensitive files were returned to the chief’s office during cataloging. There were questions about whether keys and fobs had been recovered after a resignation; the interim manager said he would encourage changing locks and tags once an interim police chief is in place and that the audit will include evidence‑room materials and training records.
The board then moved into executive session to discuss contracts related to an interim police chief and a tax sale; the chair said the interim chief and attorney Kevin Pate would be invited into the executive session for contract discussions.
Next steps: the manager will proceed with an audit of police records and update the board; the selectboard will meet in executive session on interim police chief contracts and tax sale matters.
