Dual-role town employee to now get health benefits

KENT - After much discussion, the Board of Selectmen have authorized an amendment to the town's personnel policy that will allow Tax Collector and Sewer Commission Clerk Deborah Devaux to receive town employee health insurance benefits.

The decision had originally been put off, pending an assessment from Town Attorney Jeff Sienkiewicz as to whether or not Sewer Commission employees are considered town employees.

Once it was determined that Devaux's service did fall under the umbrella of the town, the amendment was approved.

The amendment, which was drafted by Sienkiewicz, is singular in nature applying only to the tax collector and is only applicable when the collector holds another town position that would total a work week of 30 hours or more.

Devaux works 24 hours a week in the tax collector office and 10 hours a week with the Sewer Commission.

The final hurdle to this action was cleared last Thursday, Feb. 7, at the special Board of Finance meeting. At the conclusion of the meeting, First Selectman Ruth Epstein asked for the authorization of $1,445 to help the town pay for Devaux's benefits until the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 2008).

The total annual cost of benefits is slated to be $6,200. The Sewer Commission has agreed to pay one third of this cost, with 4 percent of the total cost being picked up by Devaux, as is standard practice with town employees.

After an impassioned discussion the request was approved by the finance board by a vote of four to one with one abstention. Former Board of Finance Chairman George Jacobsen provided the one dissenting vote, saying the money should be voted on by the town because the salary and benefits of town employees had previously been decided by the town. He was concerned that this change would supersede that decision.