HEATH — More than 30 people gathered in the Heath municipal building’s cafeteria on Thursday to protest the layoff of a Highway Department laborer/operator in the wake of budgetary concerns.
“Do you think I made this decision so 30 people can sit there and attack me?” said Selectboard member Sue Lively. “I am sorry we had to eliminate someone from the department.”
During a meeting on Tuesday, the Selectboard decided to accept the Finance Committee’s recommendation to reduce the Highway Department staff from four employees to three, citing budgetary constraints. According to the Finance Committee, the department has one of the highest budgets in the area compared to the number of road miles in town.
Eliminating the laborer/operator position held by Mike Shattuck saves the town an estimated $70,000, according to Town Coordinator Hilma Sumner. This includes wages as well as benefits. By comparison, Sumner said a member of the Selectboard calculated the cost to hire extra personnel during snowstorms, and found it would likely be $15,000 if there are 20 snow events.
The Selectboard decided to eliminate Shattuck’s position, saying that the superintendent and mechanic positions are essential. To decide which of the two laborer/operators to lay off, the Selectboard considered that Shattuck has been working for the department for 15 years compared to Jason Lively’s more than 20 years of experience.
Residents who filled the cafeteria on Thursday, however, argued that Kyle Jarvis should have been laid off instead. Jarvis works as a foreman/mechanic, which the Selectboard deemed essential. Jarvis has been employed by the town for less than a year, far shorter than Shattuck’s tenure. Residents argued that Shattuck should have been promoted to the foreman/mechanic position held by Jarvis.
In response, Selectboard members said that when they originally began the hiring process for the foreman/mechanic position, a notice was posted around town and in the newspaper for multiple months. They received three applications, but neither of the town’s current laborer/operators applied or expressed interest in a promotion.
“It is about the position, not about you personally,” Selectboard member Brian DeVriese said to Shattuck.
At the start of Thursday’s meeting, Shattuck waived his right to an executive session, meaning the 30 residents who came were allowed to sit in on the meeting. The Selectboard explained that while it was no longer an executive session, they would only speak to Shattuck and not allow the crowd to speak. The meeting began with a reading of a letter Shattuck wrote to the Selectboard and the Finance Committee about their decision.
“I was devastated and completely taken by surprise when you informed me on Monday that you were laying me off from the job I have held with the town for 15 years,” Shattuck read.
Throughout the meeting, attendees voiced their disagreement with the decision. The Selectboard called for order multiple times. At one point, the police officer on duty, Lee Lively, told an audience member to “shut up.”
The residents proposed having the decision be made by voters at Town Meeting, and told the Selectboard that decisions were being made in secret. Sumner noted that discussion about major cuts to the budget, including this decision, had been on the agenda for the past two months.
When the crowd quieted down, Selectboard members explained they are offering a severance package of wages and insurance until July 1, and assistance with resume writing and job searching.
“While I feel that your decision to lay me off is short-sighted,” Shattuck’s letter read, “I want the residents of Heath to know that I have always had the town of Heath at heart, and always will,
Bella Levavi can be reached at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.