1. Chair Jamie Minacci called the meeting to order and suggested a change in the order of the agenda items. She wished to move the reorganization of the Select Board to the last item.
2. Patrick White objected and wished to keep the order of agenda items as written. Minacci asked Chuck Cardillo, who took no position, and the three members agreed.
3. Minacci asked Cardillo and White if either of them would like to be chair. Chuck declined; Patrick responded it was his turn to be chair.
4. Minacci said it is not in the bylaws or the charter, it [rotating the chairmanship] “was just something we have practiced for a while.” She added that she wanted to be chair.
5. She said her chairmanship was shortened by her race in the primary for state represent and she would like more time.
6. White again asserted it was his turn.
7. Cardillo was offended by an email White sent as if it were telling him what to do or how to vote.
8. White explained, assuming he would be chair, he sent an email that began, “As is tradition…” he was sharing his proposed agenda in the spirit of transparency.
9. Minacci reported that she called Town Counsel about the email and Donna Brewer gave a legal opinion that the email broke open meeting law. Minacci said, “if that is the way he [White] started she was concerned with whatever else he would do.”
10. Cardillo said “for the good of the Town and working together…”
11. He was interrupted by someone on Zoom adding a comment.
12. Cardillo said it was not time for public comment.
13. White asked, “why not?”
14. Cardillo said because this was a SB decision. Cardillo asked that mics of Zoom participants be “cut off.”
15. White said, all decisions were SB decisions and the public should be allowed to speak. He said that he laid out items “we should address” and that he made the suggestions expecting to be chair in the spirit of transparency
16. Chuck nominated Minacci
17. White exited with the comment, “Okay I will let you know if I will be back.”
18. Meeting limped ahead with Minacci chairing and questioning Canales about what she could and could not do with only two members remaining. Public hearings were rescheduled.
19. Unfortunately a number of comments exchanged between Minacci and Cardillo belittling or insulting White after he left were caught on Mic.
Adjourned
Editor’s note: There is nothing in writing anywhere that says if someone says hi at the post office, we have to say hi back. Nothing in writing that says if asked, “How are you?” We respond, “Fine, thank you and you?” There is nothing in writing anywhere that says we rotate the chair – but with rare exception we always did. Why? Same reason we say hi back. It’s nice. It acknowledges the other person. It is not selfish to the exclusion of the other. It’s nice. Shall we codify niceness? Perhaps we are getting to that moment in time when we have to.
In Stockbridge, nice was tradition. John Beacco called a tradition of niceness a “dignified and caring” approach to life. Mary Flynn called it “the Stockbridge way.”
When we are lost or at odds, tradition is the safest, sanest thing to cling to. Too bad this meeting and the people in it – including Town Counsel and the Town Administrator – forgot that and lost their way so absolutely.
FYI Mary Flynn was the first woman to serve on the SB in Stockbridge history. She did not want to push it by acting as chair. Over their twenty years on the SB, at her request, John Beacco served consecutive terms as chair to accommodate her. Just as Don Chabon served consecutive terms when Terry Flynn was ill. These were agreed upon acts of kindness.
