Hampden to review official’s termination

HAMPDEN – The status of the town’s code enforcement officer remains in limbo as her recent termination heads to a three-member appeals panel for review.

With Hampden Town Manager Sue Lessard out of town late this week, municipal officials would only say Thursday that Code Enforcement Officer Tracey Thibault was no longer working there. Hampden Public Safety Director Joe Rogers, Thibault’s supervisor who is assuming some of her duties, would not comment on what had taken place, referring questions to Lessard.

Thibault could not be reached for comment.

Councilors contacted Thursday would only say that no formal notification of the termination had come before the council, either in writing or verbally. Instead, at their Monday meeting, Lessard informed them that a termination was being appealed and that the council needed to appoint another member to the town’s personnel appeals board, bringing it up to its full complement of three members in order to deal with the appeal.

It wasn’t clear what time frame the review board would require for the review, but Mayor Rick Briggs thought they would be meeting within the next two weeks. Appeals board member Gerry Ouellette referred all questions to Lessard.

As code enforcement officer, Thibault drew heavy criticism from some residents, specifically in the Crestwood Trailer Park and along the Hermon Pond area as she sought to enforce the municipality’s zoning and code ordinances.

In late November, David Luce, operator of the trailer park, presented the council with a petition from 34 residents asking the town to stop the mandatory inspections of their homes. The park, however, has been cited for many violations, including doors that didn’t work or were nailed shut and heating systems that didn’t function. Lessard said recently that Thibault had followed the necessary procedures before visiting and entering homes.

On Oct. 25, a District Court judge ruled that Luce could not evict tenants or collect rent because they were operating illegally.