At the Oct. 4 meeting of the Southwick Select Board, many attended with the hopes of hearing why two of the members (Russ Fox and Doug Moglin — Chairperson Joe Deedy did not attend) — summarily dismissed three community members from committees/commissions of the town. Several of us voiced our concerns and at the end of the meeting, when asked what the board would do to with the requests and information we were seeking, there was no response.
I now ask the following questions: On what basis were these dedicated public servants dismissed? Why is it they were not allowed a meeting prior to the dismissal to learn of this and if there was an error, have an opportunity to correct it in the future? Why did you choose a meeting of two rather than wait until all could be present? Why didn’t you consult with the commission chairs before they heard it through the grapevine after the dismissal? Why didn’t you appoint the alternates for the Agricultural Commission, instead of a person unknown even to the chairperson?
Mr. Fox has insisted that he serves at the pleasure of the community, but at the last two mishandled events (Carvana and these dismissals), where were those folks you serve at the pleasure of? From our vantage point, we — and there are many — do not feel the pleasure!
These actions require us in Southwick to question your judgement. Perhaps we own some of the blame for trusting your ethics and truth, but now we see that we need to insist that you represent those of us who have lost faith in your governing style and earn back our trust by responding to our questions and rescinding the dismissals.
Juliet Hansen
Southwick
