Stoneforge Chronicles

By John Mauer

At the meeting of the Board of Selectmen last night, the last subject for discussion was the health care benefits received by the Tax Collector and Sewer Commission Clerk, Debbie Devaux.  Previously, the Board had discussed compliance with the necessary hours as well as the possibility of letting other part-time town employees purchase heath insurance in the town’s group plan as reported here.  This night, however, several members of the Democratic Town Committee, led by Devaux, chose to berate the BOS and verbally abuse the Town Clerk Darlene Brady.

Devaux, who was absent at the last meeting, chose to have the discussion of her health insurance in public session.  She defended herself by noting that she puts in 20 hours as Tax Collector and 10 hours as Clerk for the Sewer Commission and thus should qualify for medical benefits as a full-time town employee.  She said, “I sign my time cards as Tax Collector.  The Chairman of the Sewer Commission signs my  time cards as Clerk.”  Town Clerk Darlene Brady had noted at the previous meeting that Devaux did not appear to be maintaining the required hours.

John Casey, speaking for the Sewer Commission (although he is not Chairman), said, “I’m not quite sure why we are having this discussion.  Debbie is a person of integrity and I take her at her word.”  Devaux has 24 hours listed as office hours and claimed to put in the other hours at home.  However, frequently in the past, Devaux’s office has been shuttered during normal hours; taxpayers have been observed taking out their frustration on the Town Clerk.  No wonder Brady can say that the required hours appear not to have been logged.

Tod Jones, Chairman of the Democratic Town Committee, then berated the Board of Selectmen for their personal attack on Devaux.  He said, “The possibility that the Board of Selectmen will do harm … is very feeble”  He was backed up by a dozen or so other Democrats, all of whom continued to harp on the imagined personal attack on Devaux and her likeability and integrity.  In rebuttal, Selectman Karren Garrity said, “This is becoming a personal issue when it is a personnel issue.”  However, Devaux interrupted Garrity before she could continue.

Ed Epstein, husband of former First Selectman Ruth Epstein, then castigated the Board of Selection for describing Devaux’s health benefits as a political fabrication, but was corrected by Selectman George Jacobsen.  Jacobsen had previously described the change in Board policy as a fabrication designed to give Devaux, and only Devaux, health insurance.  Epstein went on to set up debatable straw men and then knock them down with his political rhetoric, before ending his monologue by questioning the integrity of Brady.

As orchestrated support for Devaux mounted,  it became increasing clear that those disputed health benefits were, indeed, a political contrivance.  And that the Democrats assembled had no desire to allow the Selectmen to discuss purchased health benefits for all of the other part-time town employees.  Further, none of the homework necessary for that discussion had been done by First Selectman Bruce Adams.

An attempt to bring Town Attorney Jeff Sienkiewicz back into the discussion was discouraged.  He has already ruled that such political favoritism is legal; he said nothing about ethical.

The loud political audience refused to recognize that the BOS was discussing policy for all employees. The subject was postponed until the next meeting with no action taken.