Dewey committee chairs draw debate

Appointing chairs for Dewey’s audit and marketing committees proved contentious at the Nov. 10 commissioners meeting.

Nominated for audit chair were current audit committee Chair Larry Silver, former commissioner candidate Bill Stevens and Deputy Attorney General Julie Johnson. Commissioner David Moskowitz motioned to approve Johnson, with Commissioner Gary Persinger seconding.

Commissioner Paul Bauer questioned Johnson’s qualifications.

“Should the chair have experience as an auditor?” he asked. “The two other people have done that job.”

Persinger said he preferred a chair with a proven track record of service to the town, noting Johnson has served on several Dewey boards and committees.

“The audit committee isn’t doing the audit; they’re hiring the auditor and overseeing the process,” he said.

Moskowitz said Johnson has an MBA in addition to her law degree. Himself a CPA, he offered to be liaison.

Arguing that school and experience are two different things, Bauer voted against the motion, which passed 3-1; Commissioners Dale Cooke, Moskowitz and Persinger voted in favor. Mayor T.J. Redefer was absent.

Presiding over the meeting in Redefer’s absence, Cooke said he thought more than the one person listed in the commissioners’ packet, Jill Compello, was nominated for chair of the marketing committee.

Bauer said two other nominees for marketing committee chair were submitted late. Moskowitz nominated Drew Martin at 11:45 p.m., Nov. 5; Bauer nominated Janine Stevens at 11:50 a.m., Nov. 8.

Dewey’s Resolution 139 states commissioners shall provide a brief biography of candidates for commissioners’ review five calendar days before the town meeting.

Persinger said he would be fine considering all names, but asked if a vote to suspend the resolution was needed.

Bauer disagreed, “I think that’s shady.”

Town Counsel Fred Townsend told commissioners they may suspend any or all of their rules as they see fit.

“The question is not what it looks like or doesn’t look like, as much as can you do it, and the answer is you can,” Townsend said. He said commissioners were already not compliant with the resolution, which states chairs are to be appointed in October.

“So does that mean you can’t make these appointments?” he asked. “No. They are all internally composed rules, and they do not violate the charter or law if you fail to comply with the letter of the resolution.”

Bauer said five calendar days from Moskowitz’s Monday nomination would be 11:45 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 10.

“Fifteen minutes does not constitute a calendar day,” he said. When Cooke said he agreed with Persinger to include all nominations, Bauer disagreed.

“That’s sketchy,” Bauer said. “If you have a rule, you get rid of it if you don’t like it, you don’t suspend it so you can vote and put it back in tomorrow.”

Moskowitz said his nomination was submitted on time, and only Bauer’s nomination was late.

“It was five calendar days,” he said. “That’s ample time for review.”

Bauer said commissioners should consider eliminating the resolution.

“We don’t observe it, so why have it?” he asked. “Do we have to observe any of our resolutions, or do we change or ignore them to suit what we want to do? I think that’s B.S.”

Townsend said, “It’s my opinion, and I stand by it. Resolutions are for internal guidance.”

With that, Moskowitz motioned to accept Martin as chair and suspend rules that interfere with his nomination.

Persinger and Cooke suggested tabling the vote and considering all nominees at the next meeting.

When Moskowitz’s nomination failed, he motioned to table the vote, which passed unanimously. He nominated Bauer as commissioner liaison to the committee, which also passed unanimously.

Approved chairs for remaining committees are Dave Davis, budget and finance, with Persinger as liaison; David King, charter and code review ad hoc, with Persinger as liaison; Elaine Bole, comprehensive development plan, with Persinger as liaison; Jim Tyler, infrastructure, with Cooke as liaison; and Manuel Bramao, investment, with Moskowitz as liaison.

The vote to appoint a chair for last year’s ad hoc Adopt-A-Dune committee was tabled because no one was nominated. Bauer, liaison last year, said he would serve again if needed.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify that Compello was nominated as chair of the marketing committee.