Hermon manager contract decision delayed

HERMON – More than a month after discussions began regarding the town manager’s contract, the Town Council put an item on its July agenda with the intent of settling the matter once and for all.

So much for intentions.

Councilor Donald Shepley, among others, had requested that the issue be discussed at Thursday’s regular council meeting, but because two councilors were absent, the item was tabled until the August meeting.

“I want to talk about this, but I don’t want to do it unless everyone is here,” Councilor Anthony Reynolds said.

Councilors Louis “Buzzy” LaChance and Alden Brown, who both have been vocal about the perceived dispute over a three-year contract for Town Manager Clint Deschene, were not present Thursday.

That means the matter will be dragged out for another month – much to the chagrin of the council.

“People hear things and say, ‘What’s going on in Hermon?'” Shepley said. “They think we’re fighting over this, but that’s just not true.”

Shepley also requested that the issue be taken up in executive session and even contacted an attorney to see if that was an option, but it was determined that the public has a right to be present during any discussion not related directly to personnel.

“You can’t just go into executive session to discuss a contract,” Deschene told the council. “It’s public knowledge.”

At a June 23 council meeting, a debate about awarding Deschene a three-year contract ended with the council opposing the motion.

Some councilors and members of the public, however, suspected a conspiracy among other councilors as the impetus for rejecting the proposed contract.

Councilor Brown last month told the Bangor Daily News that he and others suspected that LaChance and Councilors Donald Pelletier and Michael Soucy – who both voted against Deschene’s contract – were involved in the alleged collusion.

LaChance was not yet a councilor at the time of the vote, but he accused Deschene of trying to push a contract before LaChance took his council seat.

Shepley also voted to oppose the contract but later changed his mind, which is why the matter was scheduled for Thursday’s meeting. Shepley did express concern that the public was getting in the way of progress and said he was bothered that the matter cannot be handled in private.

The next council meeting is set for August 18.

Deschene, who has been Hermon’s town manager since 2002, has said he will continue working without a contract.

In other news, the council voted to enter into a contract with the Bangor Humane Society to serve as its animal control shelter.

The Lost ‘n’ Found shelter on Swan Road – Hermon’s only animal shelter – is scheduled to close at the end of the month.