LEYDEN — A police investigation found that former police chief Dan Galvis and former Selectboard member Jeff Neipp removed several items, including a full-size refrigerator, a wooden hutch for holding dishware and kitchen utensils, from Town Hall on April 8.

Discussion regarding the missing items first arose during an April 10 Selectboard meeting. The items were removed, without notice to town officials, while Town Hall was unlocked the previous weekend as part of the United Methodist Church’s annual Easter egg hunt.

A police report written by Bernardston Police Officer Thomas Chabot, whose department provides policing services to Leyden through an inter-municipal agreement, concluded that, based on the circumstances, no crime has been committed.

“As of right now, there seems to be no one questioning ownership,” Chabot’s report reads. “As to a town policy or committee bylaw violation, that is up to the town of Leyden to discern. Anything further regarding this issue should be brought to civil court.”

After Municipal Assistant Michele Giarusso informed Chabot about the missing items on April 10, Chabot wrote that he and Police Chief James Palmeri discovered, through a series of phone calls, that Galvis and Neipp had removed the items in question. According to the police report, Neipp bought the hutch years ago for his wife to help her decorate Town Hall for the weekly Leyden Café. Neipp also reportedly donated two refrigerators — one coming from his house and one from Craigslist — to the church, which were kept at Town Hall.

Neipp declined to comment when reached by phone on Wednesday. Galvis could not be reached by press time.

According to multiple church members and town officials, the decision to remove the items that had been donated to the church follows a recent Selectboard policy change governing use of town property for events. This was the first year in recent history that the town charged the church to use the town common for the Easter egg hunt. In past years, town officials have waived the $75 usage fee, but some Selectboard members felt it was not appropriate to allow the church to not pay the fee, citing state law.

Additionally, in the past, members of the church have possessed a key to use the Town Hall kitchen, which is across the street from the church. The locks on the kitchen were recently changed after equipment worth $5,000 was found stolen — a matter that is still being investigated. Church members were not given a key when the locks were changed.

During Monday’s Selectboard meeting, member Glenn Caffery said many people had keys to Town Hall and there were no records of who possessed them.

“It was the Wild West before,” he said.

“We can only try to be as consistent as we can in making our decisions. That has been what we were trying to do all year,” Selectboard member Katherine DiMatteo said at Monday’s meeting. “It feels restrictive, but hopefully it will make things more equal and equitable and even out so people know these are the parameters for decision making.”

Since the Selectboard’s April 10 meeting where the missing items were first discussed, many residents came forward offering to donate a new refrigerator. Caffery said the church member who ultimately donated a fridge mentioned concerns that the church was being blamed for the incident. Selectboard members noted several times that they do not blame the church for the incident, saying people acted as individuals.

Recounting the history of Town Hall, Selectboard Chair Bill Glabach said most items in the building were donated by residents. In the 1930s when Town Hall was destroyed in a fire, and later rebuilt, members of the town furnished the new building mostly with donations.

A similar story occurred in the kitchen, with most of the objects and appliances being bought by the church itself or donated by residents who ran programs out of Town Hall.

Rita Klaus, a member of the United Methodist Church, said at Monday’s Selectboard meeting that people took the items they had donated because they feared they would not have access to them after the locks were changed.

“All they did was take back what they figured we were never going to be allowed to use again,” she said.

In a phone interview, Valerie Snow, a member of the United Methodist Church, said the church has had a close relationship with the town in the past, using town-owned spaces for various activities. She said some church members feel they are being pushed out by newer residents, leading some members to opt to take back items that had been kept at Town Hall. All the items were taken to the church basement.

“The church feels [the Selectboard is] not doing us any justice,” Snow said. “We feel we should be given a key.”

Snow and Glabach both said this missing object situation, and other recent turmoil involving the police chief and Council on Aging, are part of a larger issue that stems from a difference in opinion between newer and older residents.

“We are going through quite a transition,” Glabach said.

Caffery said in an interview that the Selectboard will continue discussing how to move forward now that the police report has been finalized.

Bella Levavi can be reached at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.

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