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Brookline Selectboard plans compensation plan steps and agrees to review hiring transparency after resident complaint
Summary
Board described steps to implement a townwide Compensation Plan and agreed to further review hiring practices and police staffing after resident Judy Cook raised transparency concerns about part-time hires and vehicle counts.
Selectboard members told residents May 12 they are advancing a formal Compensation Plan and will follow up on hiring procedures and performance-review timing after a public comment raised transparency concerns.
Town staff described the implementation work needed to complete the Compensation Plan ahead of budget season: assign every town position to a Grade, place each employee on a Grade and Step, and return lists to Department Heads for confirmation. Board members said they may schedule a special work session to complete the task; department heads will receive employee placement lists the following day.
Policies under review include ACH procedures, Capital Assets, Credit Card policy (proposed one card per department with a $5,000 card limit), and Fundraising policy edits to record donations in year-to-date financials and quarterly Selectboard review. The Capital Assets policy discussion included adding DPW vehicles and questioning whether $10,000 remains an appropriate capitalization threshold; the board asked auditors’ input.
During public comment resident Judy Cook said she believes the town has been hiring some employees as part-time without putting full-time hires on the warrant for voter approval and urged greater transparency; she also criticized recent structural changes in the Police Department and questioned the size of the town fleet. The Selectboard said it relies on Department Heads to operate their departments while acknowledging some hiring oversight issues have been inconsistent and need discussion. Board members agreed to resolve hiring procedure inconsistencies and consider moving performance reviews to summer months.
What’s next: Department Heads will confirm Grade/Step placements; the Selectboard will place policy edits on the May 27 agenda for further review and will follow up on hiring procedure clarifications.
