Town seeks clarity on foreman's job

CORNWALL —A revised and greatly expanded job description for the highway department foreman is being written by the selectmen as they prepare to fill a position currently in flux. The job has been posted in The Lakeville Journal and is expected to be filled in the next month or two.

Former highway foreman Rick Stone resigned in November amid accusations he improperly handled town funds. He has since filed a complaint with the state Freedom of Information Commission, accusing the selectmen of violating FOI statutes in their handling of procedures surrounding the process of confronting Stone.

He also claimed, through his attorney, that his resignation was coerced, and that he expects to be reinstated.

The selectmen are not considering that option.

While the job description has not been cited as a factor in the matter, the incident has shown how important it is to be very specific about what the town expects from an employee.

The selectmen said they are taking this opportunity to write a description that reflects that the job is about more than supervising the town crew. It includes things such as safety compliance, purchasing procedures, budgeting and financial monitoring.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson at the state Freedom of Information Commission office told The Journal it typically takes at least two months for a case to make it onto a commission meeting agenda for a decision.

A complaint is reviewed prior to that to determine if the commission has jurisdiction, if all pertinent information has been submitted and if a settlement between the two parties can be reached. The commission has up to one year to decide a case.

Stone also has the right to withdraw the complaint.