{"id":2261,"date":"2021-07-22T20:22:27","date_gmt":"2021-07-23T00:22:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/norwichobserver.com\/?p=2261"},"modified":"2021-07-22T20:23:27","modified_gmt":"2021-07-23T00:23:27","slug":"should-the-norwich-selectboard-be-more-forthcoming-about-the-renewal-of-the-town-managers-contract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/norwichobserver.com\/index.php\/2021\/07\/22\/should-the-norwich-selectboard-be-more-forthcoming-about-the-renewal-of-the-town-managers-contract\/","title":{"rendered":"Should the Selectboard be more forthcoming about the renewal of the Town Manager’s contract?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Cone of Silence (Get Smart<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Other than the Selectboard, the Town Manager is the most powerful position in Norwich town government. By statute, the manager has “general supervision of the affairs of the town.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The employment agreement with Town Manager Herb Durfee expires in about 40 days. Yet, with so little time left, the Selectboard won’t tell the public what its plans are. Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would it put the Town in an adverse position for the Selectboard to tell the public that it is in the process of negotiating a new contract with Town Manager Durfee? In Open Meeting Law terms, how is the Town placed at a “substantial disadvantage” if it reveals that negotiations are ongoing.

Similarly, what is the substantial disadvantage to the Town for the Selectboard to reveal it has no plans to renew its employment agreement with Mr. Durfee? Or, that the Board has not yet decided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am not urging that all negotiations occur in public. But, I am troubled by the total news blackout on this topic. See related June 15 post<\/a>. Neither the Town Manager nor the Selectboard Chair responded to my email on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the last Selectboard meeting, the Board went into executive session to discuss a “contract with a town employee,” according to the draft meeting minutes for July 14<\/a>. Reading between the lines suggests the town employee is Mr. Durfee and the contract is his with the Town. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why be opaque?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never miss a new post on the Norwich Observer. Subscribe to my blog by submitting your email address in the subscribe box in the right column above. Thanks!<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Other than the Selectboard, the Town Manager is the most powerful position in Norwich town government. By statute, the manager has “general supervision of the affairs of the town.” The employment agreement with Town Manager Herb Durfee expires in about 40 days. Yet, with so little time left, the Selectboard won’t tell the public what its plans are. Why? Would it put the Town in an adverse position for the Selectboard to tell the public that it is in the Continue reading Should the Selectboard be more forthcoming about the renewal of the Town Manager’s contract?<\/span>→<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,32,49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-open-meeting-law","category-tm-contract","category-transparency"],"yoast_head":"\nShould the Selectboard be more forthcoming about the renewal of the Town Manager's contract? - Norwich Observer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/norwichobserver.com\/index.php\/2021\/07\/22\/should-the-norwich-selectboard-be-more-forthcoming-about-the-renewal-of-the-town-managers-contract\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Should the Selectboard be more forthcoming about the renewal of the Town Manager's contract? - Norwich Observer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Other than the Selectboard, the Town Manager is the most powerful position in Norwich town government. By statute, the manager has “general supervision of the affairs of the town.” The employment agreement with Town Manager Herb Durfee expires in about 40 days. Yet, with so little time left, the Selectboard won’t tell the public what its plans are. Why? 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