ORANGE — Wednesday’s Selectboard meeting was recessed for an hour after the chairman and vice chairman disagreed on when an executive session could be held.
The meeting was slated to begin at 5:30 p.m., an hour before its regular start time, with Chairman Ryan Mailloux requesting a motion to enter into executive session. He cited Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 21, which states a public body can hold an executive session “To comply with, or act under the authority of, any general or special law or federal grant-in-aid requirements.”
Neither Vice Chairman Richard Sheridan nor Selectman James Cornwell made a motion, but all three decided to separately record the discussion.
Sheridan said it would be inappropriate to hold the executive session. He said he heard from the state Attorney General’s Office that an executive session cannot be held before the regularly scheduled start time of a meeting. Sheridan said he was on the Selectboard when its members voted to move their meetings’ regularly scheduled time from 7 p.m. to 6:30.
Mailloux insisted an executive session can be held before, during or after any meeting that has been properly scheduled. He said Wednesday’s meeting was scheduled for an hour before its typical start time, but done so with the legally required 48 hours’ notice.
Gabriele Voelker, Orange’s finance director/treasurer, said the meeting was properly scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and executive session was legal.
“I think you’re wrong,” she told Sheridan.
“You have the right to your opinion,” he replied.
Mailloux and Sheridan continued to argue about their interpretation of the law and Sheridan said he didn’t like the chairman’s request for a pre-regular meeting executive session. Mailloux replied that a chairman or chairwoman of any public body has the right to set a meeting’s date, time and agenda.
The executive session was on the agenda.
“You’ve been running around like you have authority that you don’t have,” Sheridan said to Mailloux.
“Your accusations are ridiculous — absolutely ridiculous,” Mailloux said.
All Selectboard members agreed to go into recess until 6:30. The Selectboard later voted unanimously to appoint Lynn Price to the Armory Commission and Al Noyes and John D. McHale to the Planning Board. Sheridan said he wants a meeting to discuss the scope of power of the Selectboard chairman.
Reach Domenic Poli at:
dpoli@recorder.com or
413-772-0261, ext. 258.
On Twitter: @DomenicPoli