LEYDEN — Despite outcry from Council on Aging members regarding their appointments to one-year terms rather than three-year terms, the Selectboard has held off on extending the terms, citing an investigation centered on a Council on Aging member.
The investigation was mentioned by Selectboard member Glenn Caffery during a Sept. 26 meeting, during which members of the Council on Aging voiced concerns about having “interim” status rather than “regular” status.
“The COA, a group of volunteers, is here this evening,” a letter from the council to the Selectboard reads, “to ask how long you intend to keep us in second-class status as interim appointments.”
In response, Caffery said council members cannot be appointed as regular members yet due to confidential information that needs to be discussed with other Selectboard members during an executive session.
“Some of it’s new and some of it’s existing,” Caffery said in regards to the confidential information.
According to Selectboard member Katherine DiMatteo, the investigation is being conducted by an outside party. She said Selectboard members felt it might be unwise to authorize longer-term appointments until they’ve “cleared the air first” with regards to the investigation.
Upon asking a question of the Selectboard during the Sept. 26 meeting, Council on Aging member Gilda Galvis said the investigation is “probably about me.” However, Selectboard members declined to identify which Council on Aging member is the subject of the investigation.
When reached by phone, Galvis declined to comment further.
During a July 18 meeting, DiMatteo moved to reappoint Galvis, Linda Baker, Kathy Fritz, Michele Higgins, Roberta Milner, Andrea Zimmerman and Linda Allis to one-year terms on the Council on Aging. The vote was unanimous in favor.
Appointment status for the Council on Aging has been a concern for a while, according to Municipal Assistant Michele Giarusso. While the council has claimed its paperwork outlines three-year appointments, DiMatteo has said she has paperwork outlining one-year appointments.
According to the town’s website, Council on Aging terms are for one year — however, this hasn’t been updated since 2020. Giarusso said she’s done some research and found that before July 1, 2013, the terms were for three years. She said this might have been a change made by the Selectboard during 2013.
Higgins, chair of the Council on Aging, said members feel like the council “can’t go forward in an organized fashion and organize a calendar.” Members also feel “insecure about going more than a month” because they feel their terms can be quickly dismissed under interim status.
DiMatteo clarified that using the term “interim” has been a mistake.
“Let’s just drop the word ‘interim’ completely,” DiMatteo told the Council on Aging. “These are one-year appointments. … There’s never any intention to get rid of (the Council on Aging) or to dissolve it in any way. … The word ‘interim’ should never have been used.”