Gill reappointed as AO for town planners

Councilors Lebeau, Chabot maintain opposition

By Tom Killin Dalglish
Posted 4/19/18

TIVERTON — By a vote of 5-2, Susan Gill was reappointed Monday, April 9, by the Tiverton town council to a one-year term as Tiverton planning board administrative officer (AO). Her prior term was set to expire April 17.

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Gill reappointed as AO for town planners

Councilors Lebeau, Chabot maintain opposition

Posted

TIVERTON — By a vote of 5-2, Susan Gill was reappointed Monday, April 9, by the Tiverton town council to a one-year term as Tiverton planning board administrative officer (AO). Her prior term was set to expire April 17. 
She has been serving in that capacity on a volunteer basis, while at the same time serving as a member of the planning board. The AO position is widely considered to require a full-time official.
Voting in favor were Council President Denise deMedeiros and councilors Christine Ryan, Patricia Hilton, John Edwards, and Joe Perry.
Voting against were Councilors Randy Lebeau and Joan Chabot, both of whom have opposed Ms. Gill's appointment in the past.
The planning board had unanimously recommended the re-appointment of Ms. Gill, to serve until such time as a new permanent administrative officer is hired.
The re-appointment came at a time when the town was in the midst of a search for a permanent administrative officer — an appointment that is widely considered imminent.
"I feel we are taking advantage of Susan as a volunteer, who's also on the board," said Council John Edwards.
Ms. Gill was commended by some council members "for stepping up and doing all this work."
"She's done a fine job, an excellent job," said Council President deMedeiros.
"I think it's imperative that she step in," said Councilor Ryan. She says she's willing to do it. It would be really important to have a seamless transition and not have another person in there who doesn't know what they're doing. If Susan is willing to do it, it would be wonderful to have her."
Neither councilor Lebeau or Chabot stated their reasons for opposing Ms. Gill.
Last July 10, when Ms. Gill's appointment as AO was in front of the council for vote, Councilor Lebeau opposed her appointment, saying, "I would prefer a resignation from her than a reappointment." Mr. Lebeau said. "If we reappoint Sue, I'm going to have a major investigation on all the issues that's been going on with the planning board over the past five years."
Mr. Lebeau then uttered words that have come back to him in the form of a public records lawsuit filed March 27, 2018 by the Attorney General's office against both him — as an individual and in his official capacity — and the Tiverton Town Council for violation of the Access to Public Records Act (APRA), violations that potentially carry fines and penalties if found by a court to have been committed.
"I have a list, a laundry list, of things that can't be done," Mr. Lebeau said last July, while opposing Ms. Gill, and while waving sheets of paper in the air.
"I don't want to be appointing anybody who did a laundry list of things that can't be done." he said back then.
Ms. Gill thereafter sought the "laundry list" under a public records access request, that to date Mr. Lebeau has not honored, despite the Attorney General's Superior Court lawsuit against him for failure to disclose.

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