Plumb Library Director Jennifer Woodward has resigned after only one month in the position.
The Rochester Select Board on Monday night announced that Woodward quit the town job effective August 5. Reading from the letter of resignation, Select Board Chairman Woody Hartley quoted her as saying “the transition has been rocky,” and she thought it best to resign as a solution.
Retiring head librarian Gail Roberts had introduced Woodward to the Select Board in late June, and Woodward began the job in early July. A resident of Bourne, Woodward had previously worked as assistant director of the Falmouth Library District and had been a librarian for 30 years.
Hartley said all questions regarding the sudden resignation should be directed to the Plumb Library Board of Trustees, which conducts the hiring and firing for the Library department as an independent entity. Town Administrator Glenn Cannon said the trustees have already started to search for Woodward’s replacement.
Hartley later in Monday night’s public meeting introduced under New Business the topic of improving the town’s human-resources activities: how the town hires new people and trains its existing employees. “Bad marriages aren’t good,” Hartley said, explaining he wants the town to research how to better handle its job hiring and other human resources practices.
Selectman Paul Ciaburri agreed with this idea, saying the town has periods of hiring people, then a time when no one new needs to be hired, followed by a load of retirees and the need to be replaced. Hartley said he wants to see how practices can be improved for both employee hiring and training.
“We need to attract more people to our personnel board,” Ciaburri suggested. The selectmen currently serve as the town’s personnel board.
Hartley and Ciaburri agreed Cannon should research these issues.
In other action, the selectmen chose not to exercise the town’s right of first approval for 529 Snipatuit Road, which is being taken out of 61A agricultural land protection for development.
The Select Board voted to approve Police Chief Robert Small’s recommendation to appoint Catherine Connolly as a new, full-time department officer. Small, appearing remotely via Zoom, said Connolly has approximately five years of police-work experience. She is academy trained and holds multiple certifications. “She will fit in well with our department,” he said.
The board issued a citation congratulating local scout Audrey Blanchard for earning her Eagle Scout badge. Her Eagle project was to build picnic tables for the local YMCA campsite.
The board also approved the use of the town for the Charles River Wheelers’ Cranberry Harvest Country Road Race on Sunday, September 18, at 8:30 am.
The Rochester Conservation Commission needs two new associate members. Hartley instructed those interested to contact commission Chairman Christopher Gerrior or Conservation Agent Merilee Kelly or contact Town Hall.
In his Town Administrator’s Report, Cannon announced that the deadline for work bids for the proposed Public Safety Building Feasibility Study is Thursday, August 18. One potential bidder has dropped out of the running because of the company’s workload, Cannon said, but approximately 10 contractors continue to show interest in bidding.
Cannon also announced the paperwork to receive the $117,430 Green Communities Grant is in and must be signed by the Select Board members.
He also noted that the town’s Comcast license expires on August 31, 2025, but municipalities are advised to start planning the renewal process early. Selectman Brad Morse, attending the meeting via Zoom, reminded the board that the renewal negotiations are a Tri-Town effort because the Rochester, Marion and Mattapoisett contracts all expire at once. The board then requested Cannon initiate discussions with Marion and Mattapoisett.
The warrant for Rochester’s Special Town Meeting will be closed on Monday, August 29, presumably during the Select Board’s next public meeting.
Rochester Select Board
By Michael J. DeCicco