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Resident criticizes town employees' Facebook comments; board says post was on a private account and notes recent police pay increase
Summary
During public comment David Black said it was "disrespectful" for town employees to post criticisms on Facebook; the chair replied that the post was on a private individual's page, and described a prior one-year police contract that resulted in roughly a 24% pay increase split over two pay periods.
David Black spoke during the public comment period, identifying himself and thanking volunteers before raising a concern about staff conduct on social media. "I do find it disrespectful that our town employees are on Facebook bashing you guys," he said, and urged that employees raise concerns directly or put them in writing rather than air them on Facebook.
The chair (S2) addressed Black's remarks later in the meeting. The chair said the lengthy Facebook post in question "was on a private individual's Facebook page," not the department's official page, and said some of the post's content was inaccurate. The chair also described the town's recent police contract timeline: the town had a one-year contract last year, negotiations ran late because the union changed representation, and "everybody in that police union got at least a 24% wage increase in that one year contract," split between July of last year and January of this year. The chair declined to discuss current negotiations and emphasized support for police and fire personnel.
The board did not take formal disciplinary action during the meeting; it encouraged internal communication channels and reiterated that contract negotiations are ongoing.
