HAWLEY — After hearing a slew of personnel concerns over two meetings, the Selectboard asked Highway Department employee Chris Tirone to be more careful operating machinery and attempt to mend a working relationship with Highway Superintendent Gary Mitchell, with the potential for using a mediator.

The hearing began on March 20 and continued this week, during which a laundry list of complaints against Tirone surfaced. The offenses ranged from being late, using a cellphone while on the job and, most notably, causing an estimated $21,391 in damage to town equipment while working. These took place over the five-year period Tirone worked for the town.

“This is not personal,” Mitchell said during the second hearing. “I am trying to stop the damage; we are wasting too much on repairs.”

Selectboard member Hussain Hamdan said that while highway departments will often damage equipment in the course of their work, the concern brought forward about Tirone is that he causes more than a normal amount of damage and some may have been caused by carelessness.

Often, personnel issues take place in executive sessions, out of the public eye, but Tirone requested these meetings about his conduct take place in open session.

Hamdan noted that he opposed the entire hearing because town procedural measures had not been followed. He thinks there should have been reprimands given throughout Tirone’s employment, and Mitchell should have regularly brought concerns to the Selectboard.

Town Counsel Donna MacNichol pointed out that the way the town procedure is written requires the Selectboard to handle all reprimands, which is unreasonable considering the communication required and Open Meeting Law constraints.

Mitchell contended that over the course of five years, Tirone caused $21,391 worth of damage, and that the repair budget for fiscal year 2023 has already been depleted.

“We’re done for the year,” Mitchell said, referencing the budget. “So anything at this point … if it’s broken I can’t fix it.”

A review of receipts for the damage revealed flaws in the documentation, and not every incident brought forward by Mitchell could be verified to be Tirone’s fault, Hamdan asserted, which is why the board decided not to issue a reprimand. Additionally, during the meeting, it became apparent that Tirone had not been trained on the equipment he was asked to operate.

“Things break because I’ve never been trained or shown,” Tirone said.

“There are some differences and some things weren’t his fault,” Hamdan said. “We have to start fresh. We can’t issue a warning.”

Over the course of the five years Tirone has worked for Hawley, his relationship with Mitchell has become increasingly hostile, with antagonism from all sides. Several people were unsure if the two Highway Department workers would be able to put their differences aside to work together. They were instructed by the board to attempt a process of reconciliation with possible help from outside forces.

“It’s not going to be easy to get them to work together, but it is worth trying,” said board member Robert MacLean.

MacNichol said this situation is an example of the lack of time available for training in small towns. She said with a packed schedule and small staff, supervisors and workers don’t have time for the training necessary. These trainings can aid in human relations and managerial skills as well as preservation of equipment.

“Larger towns’ supervisors go to trainings that is not possible in these small towns,” MacNichol noted.

The Selectboard scheduled a follow-up meeting for April 11 to check in on the progress made between Tirone and Mitchell. This meeting may be in executive session.

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

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