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Motion to remove town manager fails after heated exchange over newsletters and conduct
Summary
Council member Didi moved to terminate Town Manager Rob Cole following allegations about unprofessional conduct and heated interactions with residents and council members; Cole defended his actions as efforts to correct misinformation, and the termination motion failed 2-3.
A motion to terminate Town Manager Rob Cole was brought during council comments on Sept. 16 after several council members and residents described a confrontational interaction at a recent council hour and criticized Cole's newsletter communications.
Councilmember Didi Halpern moved to terminate Cole, saying the manager's conduct at a council hour and in communications was "unprofessional and uncalled for." Several residents had emailed council alleging Cole yelled and called people liars during an exchange; Halpern said the behavior merited immediate action.
Cole defended himself on the dais and described being confronted by an aggressive group of residents and business owners at an earlier event; he said he attempted to correct circulating misinformation and that at one point, amid a charged crowd, he replied that anyone asserting a false vote would need to be asked why they were lying. He said an officer had to stand nearby during the confrontation and that his language was a reaction to threats of escalation.
The council took a roll-call vote on the termination motion. The motion failed on a 2-3 vote. Mayor Wheeler and others criticized council members for spreading misinformation in newsletters and for escalating conflict, while other council members said the manager's tone was inappropriate.
What happens next: No disciplinary action was authorized. Councilmembers said they would seek to improve communications and consider internal remedies if misinformation continues.
