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Former town building inspector appeals termination, says personnel records incomplete
Summary
Former Farmington building inspector Mark Ekberg publicly appealed his December termination, saying the town provided incomplete personnel records, disputed allegations cited in his termination letter and suggested severance if the town upheld its position.
Mark Ekberg, the town's former building inspector, appeared before the Farmington Board of Selectmen on Feb. 2 to appeal his termination and to challenge the documentation the town provided during the disciplinary review.
Ekberg told the board he had formally requested his full personnel file on Dec. 17 but received only about 80 pages that he said did not explicitly comprise a personnel file and omitted several items he expected. He said he received two versions of his evaluation, a colleague's evaluation he said should not have been shared with him, and a purported school-district account of a conversation he disputes. He asked the board to review those materials as part of his appeal.
Town Counsel Sarah Freeman, who facilitated the hearing, told the board members they had the termination letter, Ekberg's written appeal and Town Administrator Paul Sanderson's response on file. Sanderson told the board he was resting on the materials already provided and did not add new evidence at the public session.
Ekberg disputed several points cited in the termination letter. He said he was accused of initiating "after-the-fact" fees incorrectly, and of refusing custodial tasks and of swapping a trash can in the Selectmen's Chambers; Ekberg denied the trash-can allegation and said his actions were limited to moving an overflowing receptacle so staff would notice. He also said a follow-up visit to the school escalated after what he described as a communication breakdown with a school employee, and said he believed some documents provided to the town contained inaccuracies.
Ekberg said he saw compliments about his work that were not included in the materials he received and asked the board to consider the missing items as part of the appeal. He told the board he was not seeking a public debate of particulars in the meeting and that, if the town kept its position, he would consider pursuing a severance settlement.
No board members asked questions during the public presentation. After Ekberg left, Town Counsel recommended the board move into non-public session to consult with legal counsel.
The board subsequently entered non-public session for legal advice and reconvened in public later in the meeting. The Selectmen did not announce a decision on Ekberg's appeal during the Feb. 2 meeting.
