Enforcement officer drops appeal, resigns

HAMPDEN – In an agreement reached with the town, the code enforcement officer has officially resigned, dropping the appeal of her initial termination.

The agreement finished recently stipulated Jan. 31 as the last day of work for Tracey Thibault, although it has been weeks since she had been serving as the CEO, a full-time post she held for nearly a year. Before that she shared the code enforcement officer duties for the towns of Hampden and Hermon.

The specifics of the arrangement are considered personnel matters and weren’t made public, according to town officials. Thibault has referred comments to her attorney, Ed Bearor, who could not be reached for comment.

The agreement also formally ended her appeal to the town’s personnel appeals board that she filed shortly after she was initially notified of her termination in late November.

As code enforcement officer, Thibault began enforcing ordinances at a time that even a councilor admitted the town had been lax in enforcing in the past. What followed was sharp criticism from some residents, largely those affected by the renewed vigor in enforcement.

At the Nov. 18 Town Council meeting, David Luce, owner of the Crestwood Mobile Home Park, presented the council with a petition signed by 34 residents of the Main Road North park complaining about town officials entering their homes, in what Luce said were improper searches. Town officials said that Thibault had followed proper procedures before entering the homes.