Editor’s Note: This story by Darren Marcy was first published by the Valley News on May 24.
Woodstock town and village have formally parted ways with William Kerbin Jr., whose tenure as municipal manager is over after 25 months.
According to an agreement of separation between the two sides, Kerbin “voluntarily resigned from his employment” and will receive 22 weeks of severance pay.
Kerbin resigned “for his own reasons, and not because of any misconduct or performance deficiencies,” according to the agreement, which the Town Selectboard and Village Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve earlier this month. Selectboard chairman Joe Swanson recused himself from the discussion because he works for the town as a police officer.
Selectboard members did not respond to requests for comment on Monday.
Kerbin was placed on paid administrative leave on April 12, but officials have not offered any details. The Selectboard and Board of Trustees voted to approve the separation contract on May 2. When he was hired, Kerbin signed a five-year contract with an annual salary. His severance pay will continue through Sept. 30, and he will remain eligible for health, vision and dental benefits through Sept. 30.
Seton McIlroy, chairperson of the board of trustees, said the town hired the Burlington law firm Monaghan Safar Ducham, which was recommended by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, to negotiate with Kerbin.
The separation agreement also calls for Kerbin to receive a letter of recommendation that is “mutually acceptable to the parties,” and McIlroy, or her successor as chairperson, will be the sole point of contact for references. McIlroy declined to go into detail and would only say that Kerbin had resigned.
Under the separation agreement, village and town officials “will not say or suggest anything that might tend to reflect poorly on (Kerbin) or his personal or professional reputation.” Kerbin also is bound by a non-disparagement clause that bars him from making disparaging comments about the town. The agreement also requires the two sides to “cooperate in good faith … with respect to any and all matters,” and releases the two sides from future claims.
The boards are preparing to launch a formal search to find Kerbin’s permanent successor. McIlroy said the boards’ process will be conducted with a completely open mind.
“We want to make sure that we get the best qualified person that’s the best fit for Woodstock,” she said.
She said the town is also looking for a director of zoning and may consider restructuring within municipal offices.
“At this point, we’re looking at a lot of different options,” McIlroy said. “So we’ve got a couple of pieces that we can move around, which actually gives us a lot more opportunities, a lot more flexibility. So you know, it’s possible that things are going to look different than they did before. … It’s really a great opportunity to take a 30,000 foot view of municipal government and say, ‘How can we be more helpful to the taxpayers?’ ”
Officials plan to hire an interim manager within the next couple of weeks. McIlroy said the search for a permanent hire could last through the rest of 2022. She praised the work of Fire Chief David Green, who has been acting municipal manager since Kerbin was placed on leave.
“What has been remarkable about this process has been the way that the boards have come together, the employees have come together,” McIlroy said. “I think it’s really given us an opportunity to find strengths that we as a town didn’t know we had.”
Green, on Monday, said he would continue to serve in the acting role as needed but would not apply for the permanent job.
“The staff has stepped up and they’re helping me,” Green said. “I’ve had more offers of help. The town of Woodstock takes care of itself. It’s one of the great things about our town.”
Kerbin was selected from among four finalists out of 44 applicants two years ago. His job prior to coming to Woodstock was as town manager of Onancock, Virginia.
Efforts to reach Kerbin were unsuccessful.
