I am writing today to bring to light a decision made by the Heath Select Board to reduce the full-time Highway Department staff from four to three employees. Citing budgetary reasons to save taxpayer money, the decision was made without any discussion with taxpayers.
Eliminating this position will have an adverse effect on services in town and outweigh any hopeful savings. Furthermore, the way this was done is absolutely disgusting. A 15-year veteran highway employee was terminated over another employee with only eight months on the job. Their justification was that the position being kept (foreman/mechanic) was essential and the one being reduced was not (operator/laborer). The foreman/mechanic position was never advertised and was not offered to either of the veteran operator/laborers. They instead hired someone as an operator/mechanic, then without notice to current employees, they changed the job description to foreman/mechanic and deemed the position essential.
Fine, if the position is essential, then do the right thing and reverse the decision. Promote one of the veteran employees and terminate the person with the least seniority. While I disagree with the reduction in full-time employees, if it must be done, it should be done with respect to the most qualified senior employee.
Some other facts: The Select Board hired an individual who did not possess a license to operate loaders or backhoes. This is listed as a requirement for the foreman/mechanic. As of April 23, that individual still does not have the required license the Select Board listed it as a requirement — not as desirable or preferred, but required.
Fact, taken from the approved minutes of a Select Board meeting on Sept. 13, 2022, Select Board Chairman Robyn Provost stated that “the position of foreman was in existence before the mechanic/operator position and was not carried over. If that were to be added now, then the position would need to be regraded with a new pay scale put in place. This new pay rate would need to come before ATM and, thus, cannot be incorporated now.”
Fact, taken from the approved minutes of a Select Board meeting on Nov. 1, 2022, Select Board member Brian DeVriese stated he “would like to see a foreman position reinstated by the Town. This would be added to one of the existing job descriptions for approval at ATM.”
Twice, by two different members of the Select Board, it was stated that this would need to come before the ATM (Annual Town Meeting). They completely disregarded their own statements. As of April 26, no such article is on the town warrant for the May 6 meeting.
Fact, taken from the minutes of a Select Board meeting on Jan. 30, 2022, the job description for operator/mechanic was changed to foreman/mechanic. Essentially promoting that role and including a $1 per hour raise. During a meeting with the employee who would be terminated the town coordinator told residents who questioned all this that neither of the two veteran employees applied for the job of foreman/mechanic.
Well, that was because neither they, nor anyone else could! It had never been advertised. This is just another example of the Select Board making decisions that have split our community into pieces. At a time when we need to come together and heal other fresh wounds, they have dumped salt into them.
Correct this wrong. Reinstate the terminated employee and remove the one with the least seniority. Do the right thing!
Michael D. Smith lives in Heath.