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Residents, officials praise outgoing City Manager Scott AdAway and warn council about staff departures
Summary
At a July 9 Lowell City Council meeting, dozens of residents and a state representative praised outgoing City Manager Scott AdAway for securing grants and projects and urged the council to address alleged staff harassment and the loss of institutional knowledge.
Dozens of residents, former officials and a state legislator used public comment at the Lowell City Council meeting on July 9 to praise outgoing City Manager Scott AdAway and warn the council about the consequences of recent staff departures.
Mark Buchanan, a former mayor pro tem and longtime fire chief, told the council he had worked with AdAway on projects and that AdAway "has done an excellent job" bringing grants and projects to the town. "He's come to City Hall most days; he has been working," Buchanan said, adding that he feared the council's recent actions would drive away other employees.
The council proceeded with a succession of citizen statements supporting AdAway. Michelle Sebastian and others recounted grant-funded projects and said the departures of experienced staff risked slowing or reversing progress. "You fired her — she's only one of six," a speaker read about a staff member the council had removed, urging the council to consider the community impact of personnel decisions.
State Representative John Torbett presented a flag and recognized AdAway for his role in obtaining state funding, saying AdAway "has been an honor and a privilege to work with" and citing his efforts to bring state dollars to local projects.
Not all public commenters limited themselves to praise. Thomas Lespen said he was serving paperwork related to a lawsuit and alleged violations of his civil rights by local officers; he said he had body-worn camera footage supporting his claims. Other residents raised questions about the regionalization of the sewer system and requested more specific figures on system capacity and costs.
AdAway told the council he was preparing a final report outlining grant projects, their status and next steps before his departure. He also warned that one CDBG infrastructure amendment was not recommended because of federal closeout deadlines and construction timing.
The council did not take action on personnel matters during the public-comment period. The meeting moved on to other agenda items and later recessed into a closed session to consult with the city attorney.
The council's next steps include accepting AdAway's written final report and continuing discussions about recruitment for his replacement and the status of grant-funded projects.
