Springfield boards exchange 'liaison' members

In an effort to improve communications, the Select Board and School Board have taken the unusual step of adding a "liaison member" to each board.

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Print Email George McNaughton Published April 27, 2016 in the Rutland Herald Springfield boards exchange ‘liaison’ members By Susan Smallheer SPRINGFIELD — In an effort to improve communications, the Select Board and School Board have taken the unusual step of adding a “liaison member” to each board. Under the plan adopted Monday night by the Select Board, and earlier endorsed by the School Board, each representative from the other board will participate in all discussions, but won’t be able to vote or make motions. Nor will they participate in executive sessions. The two boards have struggled for several years to address several joint but thorny issues — the future of Park Street School, and a school resource police officer, among others. The School Board had earlier selected member Steve Karaffa to be its liaison to the Select Board and Monday night Selectman George McNaughton was chosen to be the liaison to the School Board. McNaughton, who had pushed for the exchange of members, is a former member of the School Board. He said the idea of joint quarterly meetings was “nice” but “in practice it hasn’t worked.” With two liaisons, he said, the boards “have set up a line of communication.” McNaughton said after Monday night’s meeting the exchange was unique in Vermont. Representatives from the secretary of state’s archivist office and the Vermont League of Cities and Towns said they were unaware of such an arrangement in any other town. Town Manager Tom Yennerell had voiced concerns about the arrangement, but McNaughton said having quarterly meetings between the two boards had proven to be impossible to pull off. Yennerell urged the board to do more research on the liaison plan, rather than starting it that night. “What authority will they have?” he said. “It’s quite unusual to have a liaison sitting as part of the board. I’ve never seen it done that way and I’m concerned about the legality.” He urged the board to have the VLCT to investigate the proposal. “To add a sixth person, I question the value of that,” Yennerell said. But McNaughton said rejecting the School Board’s overture would be “an incredible slap in the face.” “We need to open up the avenue of communication,” he said. “It fosters good will. I’m in favor of it.” Karaffa attended the meeting Monday night and he urged the Select Board to adopt the plan. “Everyone is in favor of it,” he told the board. “The joint meetings didn’t work. We do have a lot of the same issues.” “It’s in your court, people,” said Karaffa, a criminal justice teacher at the River Valley Technical Center. After the vote he was offered a chair at one end of the Select Board’s table. Kristi Morris, chairman of the Select Board, said he was concerned about the plan. But after being assured that the unofficial member of the board would be excluded from executive sessions, he voted for the plan. Town resident Richard Andrews spoke in favor of the idea. He served for many years on school boards when he lived in a neighboring town. Municipal and school boards “have different spheres of responsibility,” he said, but the exchange of information would be a good idea. http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20160427/NEWS02/160429553