This article is by Mike Faher, of the Brattleboro Reformer, in which it was first published Nov. 5, 2014.
VERNON — Stepping to a microphone in the Vernon Selectboard meeting room Monday night, resident Dale Gassett started this way: “We’re back again, and I think we’re all pretty much aware of exactly why we’re here.”
He and several others proceeded to again slam board Chairwoman Patty O’Donnell for her actions following a Sept. 20 traffic stop, with some calling for O’Donnell’s removal and one resident going so far as to declare her a “cancer” on the board.
Several fellow Selectboard members stopped short of defending O’Donnell, with Vice Chairwoman Chris Howe telling the crowd that “I really need time to think about this.”
But it seems clear that O’Donnell is not going anywhere. Though she missed Monday’s meeting due to a family matter, O’Donnell told the Reformer on Tuesday that she expects to continue serving.
“The answer at this point is no,” O’Donnell said when asked whether she was considering resigning.
“My concern is what’s best for the town,” she said. “What’s best for the town is to move forward.”
What happened in the wake of a Sept. 20 traffic stop by sheriff’s Deputy Ian Tuttle, and what it might mean for the future of town governance and law enforcement, is a matter of continuing debate in Vernon.
A report filed by Lt. Mark Anderson, who leads the sheriff’s department’s Vernon division, says O’Donnell may have obstructed justice by calling him repeatedly in an attempt to intercede on behalf of her friend, who had been stopped for allegedly driving under the influence.
In one voice mail left at Anderson’s home, O’Donnell declared that “if (Tuttle) followed her for no reason … there’s going to be hell to pay, ’cause I’m pissed.”
O’Donnell has not been charged with a crime. Given the sheriff’s direct involvement in the matter, Vermont State Police are reviewing the case.
O’Donnell has apologized for her language but repeatedly has defended her conduct, focusing on the fact that Tuttle drew his weapon. Though Sheriff Keith Clark has said Tuttle simply fell back on his training because the driver did not initially slow down or stop, O’Donnell reiterated her concerns on Tuesday — and she said others share those concerns.
“Clearly, walking around town, I am getting a lot of support from people,” O’Donnell said. “All of this is about an officer drawing a weapon in a nonviolent situation.”
That support, however, was not evident at Monday’s Selectboard meeting. Gassett kicked things off by saying the Sept. 20 incident “is not just the board’s problem. It’s the town’s problem.”
“The recent incident has served as a reality check in revealing how out of control our town government really has become,” Gassett said.
He decried O’Donnell’s behavior and the idea that she would “disrespect, bully and slander our town law-enforcement officials, and respond by saying she was just doing her job.”
“Having the remaining four Selectboard members fail to publicly denounce this behavior, and instead show indifference, disregard and, in some cases, support, further indicates how broken our town government is,” Gassett said.
“We are allowing the town government to erode to a very low standard if this behavior goes unaddressed and is seen as acceptable,” he added. “We really want change. We need solutions. How can we work together for a solution that would be in the best interest for all of us in this town?”
Gassett drew applause from the crowd, as did resident Munson Hicks, who questioned O’Donnell’s ability to continue serving the town.
“First and foremost, you have to decide if you believe the current chairperson is in a moral position to have contractual discussions with the sheriff’s department given her discussions about personnel, her way of characterizing personnel and her lack of regard for the chain of command within the sheriff’s department and how things should be dealt with,” Hicks said.
He also asked whether O’Donnell should still be Selectboard chairwoman.
“You have that ability, and you have that responsibility to us, to make that decision. We can’t do it,” Hicks told the board.
Mike Courtemanche, a former Selectboard member, said the chairwoman should have no more power than anyone else on the board.
“When I was the chair, you personally attacked me several times when you felt that I was overstepping my boundaries,” Courtemanche said. “In reading the police report (from the DUI stop) … I’ve noticed many, many things that I feel were overstepping the boundaries of what the chair could do.”
“You guys represent us, the people,” he added. “It’s time for you to represent the people, not one person.”
Resident David Andrews went even further.
“The board has a cancer. That’s really what it comes down to,” Andrews said. “When there’s a diagnosis of a cancer, you find the problem, and you cut it out.”
O’Donnell’s fellow Selectboard members listened intently but said they were reluctant to comment on a potential legal issue.
“I don’t feel comfortable or capable of being judge, jury and executioner in any of the legal issues that are still outstanding,” Selectboard member Janet Rasmussen said.
She also cited major issues facing the town including tax talks with Vermont Yankee owner Entergy; a tax appeal involving energy giant TransCanada; and the town’s budget for next fiscal year.
“We have to take care of these things as quickly as we can,” Rasmussen said. “I really, really want to be part of moving the board forward.”
Selectboard member Jeff Dunklee told Gassett: “I heard what you said. I just need a little time to think about it.”
Howe, who conducted the meeting in O’Donnell’s absence, said she also wanted time to consider and discuss the matter.
“I have the same concerns as you. I absolutely do … but I’m not going to be judge and jury,” Howe told the crowd.
“I have talked to a couple of the Selectboard members and I have asked that maybe the five of us get together and talk about all this on our own and see what we can come up with,” she added. “I don’t know how it would be a meeting, though — I don’t know what we would call it. It would be a work session or something like that. We’re not just sitting on this.”
Contacted Tuesday, O’Donnell said she did not believe she had lost any support on the Selectboard. She also attributed the current controversy to backlash against recent Selectboard decisions including outsourcing the town’s auditing duties.
“This is about people we’ve had to say ‘no’ to, who frankly don’t like it,” O’Donnell said.
Asked about her role in discussing a potential sheriff’s contract for next fiscal year, O’Donnell sees no need to recuse herself.
“The town will make the decision at Town Meeting about what we have for a police contract next year,” O’Donnell said. “We’re not (negotiating a contract). We’re just going to put their bid prices right into the budget and let (voters) decide.”
O’Donnell, who is in the middle of a three-year term, also intends to stay on the board. It is a critical juncture for Vernon, with Vermont Yankee scheduled to close at year’s end.
“I’ve had a long career doing this. My experience and expertise is good for the town. And we have economic-development issues,” she said. “There are much more important issues than this stuff going on at Selectboard meetings.”
