Beadle wants selectmen to have say over non-union contracts

WINSTED — Should the Board of Selectmen, as the town’s Board of Finance, be able to review and approve contracts with non-union town employees?Selectman Karen Beadle believes so and proposed to the selectmen during their meeting on Sept. 6 that they look into the possibility.While the board took no action on Beadle’s idea during the meeting, Beadle talked briefly with Town Manager Dale Martin and Mayor Candy Perez about it.The non-union contracts for department supervisors specified salaries, work condidtions and benefits and were negotiated and executed by former Town Manager Wayne Dove.The contracts in question are for Chief of Police Robert Scannell, Director of Finance Henry Centrella, Department of Public Works Director James Rotondo, Administrative Assistant Laurie Bessette and Director of Purchasing Mark Douglass.“This is something we have discussed before and put on the back burner,” Beadle said. “I’m having a hard time understanding why this differs from any of the union contracts we have ratified. Logic tells me we should ratify these contracts [as the town’s Board of Finance], which has never happened.”Martin suggested that the selectmen take no action because the contracts have already been signed with each respective employee and remain in effect.“From what I understand, when [Dove] was here he looked at these contracts as the town manager’s responsibility,” Perez told Beadle. “If we go back even further, the contracts done prior to this Board of Selectmen, they were written by the town manager.”Martin suggested that he could talk to Town Attorney Kevin Nelligan about the differences between town union employees and non-union employees.Beadle agreed with Martin’s suggestion.“We definitely need some guidance on this,” Beadle said.