Hull Board of Selectmen
Minutes
September 28, 2004
September 30, 2004
The meeting of the Hull Board of Selectmen was called to order at 7:48 pm on Tuesday evening, September 28, 2004 at the Hull Municipal Building, 253 Atlantic Avenue, Hull, Massachusetts.
Present: Gerard McLaughlin, Vice Chairman; Christopher Olivieri, Clerk; Leonard Hersch and Joan Meschino, Members. Also present were: Christopher McCabe, Town Manager and James Lampke, Town Counsel.
Not Present: John Reilly, Chairman
Gerald McLaughlin, acting as Chairman, opened the meeting with the request of Francis Gaudette dba Hole in the Wall, Rita Poravas. Mgr., 269 Nantasket Avenue, for a new owner Common Victualer License.
MOVED-Hersch: To approve the common victualer license subject to all the approvals required of the other Departments
SECOND-Olivieri
VOTE: Unanimous in favor
McLaughlin stated that the Board would be interviewing three candidates for the position of Hull Police Chief. He said that each would be asked an identical series of prepared questions, and the Candidates would be sequestered and requested to wait in the Town Manager's office.
7:30 pm Donald DiMarzio - re: Police Chief Interview
McLaughlin welcomed Donald DiMarzio, Acting Police Chief, and candidate for the permanent position of Police Chief and offered the opportunity to give an opening statement.
DiMarzio graduated from Hull High School in 1968 and served in the United States Army until 1971. He served as a Hull Police Officer from 1973 to 1980 during which time he attended Massasoit College from 1976 to 1978 earning an Associate Science, Criminal Justice Degree, graduating with High Honors; attended Anna Maria College, 1996-1998 earning a Bachelor of Science Degree, Criminal Justice graduating Magna Cum Laude; attended Western New England College 1998-2000 earning a Master Degree, Criminal Justice Administration, graduating Summa Cum Laude; promoted to Police Sergeant 1980-1982, and served as Police Captain from 1982 to 2003 during which time he was an Administrator of the Hull Public Safety Dispatch Center from 1997 to present, and Acting Police Chief since
December of 2002; DiMarzio received the Police Department and VFW Commendations for valor while a Police Officer; Commendations from the Police Department,
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Selectmen Minutes, 9/28/04
Page 2 of 6
Board of Selectmen, VFW and the House of Representative Award for his response to a threatening situation that saved a victims from fatal Injury; as Sergeant he received the Albert J. Minevitz Meritorious Service Award for actions exemplifying the Police Service and the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award.
DiMarzio answered the series of prepared questions and follow-ups put to him by the Members that can be viewed on video tape dated September 28, 2004 in the custody of Town Clerk.
MOVED-Olivieri: To go into executive session to discuss deployment of security forces reopen in open session
SECOND-Meschino
ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye, Meschino; Aye, McLaughlin; Aye, Olivieri; Aye, Hersch
The Board moved into executive session with Chief DiMarzio at 8:45 pm. and adjourned at 9:56 pm and took a short recess.
8:30 pm Richard Billings - re: Police Chief Interview
McLaughlin reopened the meeting at 10:03 pm and welcomed Sergeant Richard Billings, Acting Captain, and candidate for the permanent position of Police Chief and offered the opportunity to give an opening statement.
Billings became a permanent member of the Hull Police Department on July 4, 1982, transferring from Scituate where he had served as a Permanent Intermittent Officer starting in July 1977; he was Acting Sergeant during absences in 1991, 1993 & 1994 and became a Permanent Sergeant on March 16, 1994. Since March 17, 2004 he has been an Acting Captain. He graduated from Braintree High School in 1969, and attended Northeastern University in 1978 and Anna Maria College in 1997. Billings earned an Associates, Bachelors & Masters Degree in Criminal Justice Administration. During his years he served as a Firearms Licensing Officer and took numerous training courses such as firearms, highway safety, terrorism, sexual harassment, command training program,
motorcycle operation and enforcement, strip searches and constitutional issues and procedures, LEAPS/CJIS policies and procedures, Statewide Emergency Telecommunications, and Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed, Police Traffic Radar Operation, Infrared Breath Test Operator, Media Relations course, and several in-service training courses. In 1991 he was selected as Officer of the Year by MADD, received Recognition/Commendation from the Board of Selectmen and Police Captain in 1991 and Police Chief in 1993.
Billings answered the series of prepared questions and follow-ups put to him by the Members that can be viewed on video tape dated September 28, 2004 in the custody of Town Clerk.
Selectmen Minutes, 9/28/04
Page 3 of 6
MOVED-Olivieri: To go into executive session to discuss deployment of security forces and reopen in open session.
SECOND-Meschino
ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye, Hersch; Aye, Olivieri; Aye, McLaughlin; Aye, Meschino
The Board moved into executive session at 10:37 pm and returned to open session at 10:43 pm.
9:30 pm Robert Sawtelle - re: Police Chief Interview
McLaughlin welcomed Sergeant Robert Sawtelle, candidate for the permanent position of Police Chief and offered the opportunity for an opening statement.
Sawtelle became a seasonal Police Officer in July 1983 and served until June 1987, In February of 1988 he was appointed as a Permanent/Intermittent Police Officer. During that time he served as a temporary detective for five months in 1992, and again for 18 months in 1994 & 1995. In 1996, and twice in 2001, he was Acting Sergeant during absences, and has been a Permanent Sergeant since August 1, 2002. He graduated from Quincy High School in 1982; attended UMASS NEILEM, Command School Training and is presently attending Western New England College to earn an Associates Degree Equivalent (60 semester hrs,) in Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice. Sawtelle has served the Department as a Systems Manager, as an Evidence Officer, and completed several
training courses such as numerous Firearms Courses, Suicide Prevention, Basic Dispatcher, Motorcycle Operation and Enforcement, Radar Operators, Infra-red breathalyzer, LEAPS/CJIS, Mobile Data Terminal, Computer and Software, Police Mountain Bike, terrorism, and several in-service training courses.
Sawtelle answered the series of prepared questions and follow-ups put to him by the Members that can be viewed on video tape dated September 28, 2004 in the custody of Town Clerk.
MOVED-Hersch: To go into executive session to discuss deployment of security forces and reopen in open session.
SECOND-Meschino
ROLL CALL VOTE: Aye, Meschino, Aye, Hersch; Aye, Olivieri; Aye, McLaughlin
The Board moved into executive session at 11:15 pm and returned to open session at 11:25 pm.
McLaughlin thanked the applicants and said whomever the person selected one of the things that needs to be done is to form a partnership with the community for public safety and crime reduction.
Selectmen Minutes, 9/28/04
Page 4 of 6
MOVED-Meschino: To take under advisement and recess the meeting to Thursday, September 30, 2004 at 7:30 pm.
SECOND-Olivieri
VOTE: Unanimous in favor
Meeting recessed at 11:30 pm, to reopen on Thursday evening at 7:30 pm.
See following page for continued meeting.
MINUTES
9/30/04
Continued Meeting
The Continued meeting of the Hull Board of Selectmen was called to order on Thursday evening, September 30, 2004 at the Hull Municipal Building 253 Atlantic Avenue, Hull, Massachusetts.
Present: John Reilly, Chairman; Gerard McLaughlin, Vice Chairman; Christopher Olivieri, Clerk; Leonard Hersch and Joan Meschino, Members. Also present were: Christopher McCabe, Town Manager and James Lampke, Town Counsel.
Chairman Reilly opened the continued meeting by apologizing for not being present at the interviews and saw it could not be helped, but he assured the Members that he had watched the interviews on video tape.
Reilly said that the meeting this evening is for the purpose of appointing a permanent Hull Police Chief from three candidates, Donald DiMarzio, Richard Billings and Robert Sawtelle. He said he wanted to thank Acting Police Chief Donald DiMarzio for a good job as acting Chief, an appointment, he said, he had opposed, but was wrong and DiMarzio's performance proved him wrong.
MOVED-Reilly: To appoint Rickard K. Billings as the next Chief in the Hull Police department for the following reasons: 1) He demonstrated a better vision of the need for improved training of officers and citizens groups in prevention of fraud and identity theft crimes. For example, his idea of having an Elders Affairs Officer is a good one. 2) He recognizes the need to update the Department's Policies and Procedures and delete archaic policies. 3) He emphasized the need to have patrol officers more involved in investigating and handling lower level crimes, and to cross-train officers for a broader variety of assignments.
SECOND-Olivieri
Reilly said that if his motion passed a more detailed reason would be forwarded to Civil Service.
Selectmen Continued Meeting, 9/30/04
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Substitute Motion-Hersch: To appoint Donald DiMarzio as the next Police Chief in the Hull Police Department
SECOND-Meschino
Hersch cited his reasons for the substitute motion as DiMarzio's Civil Service Exam mark of 88% that he said was not to be ignored, and his impeccable resume
Meschino said she will support the substitute motion and was not on the Board at the time of the Acting Chief appointment. Meschino added that there are three qualified candidates and that she would be pleased to have them all as Chief at some later date, but that DiMarzio had the highest score that was 11 points higher than the other two and that the score is a presumption not to be taken lightly.
Olivieri said that he shares Meschino's sentiment but with a clarification. We have three that passed the test, he said, and the Board has to do what it thinks is best for the Town of Hull.
McLaughlin spoke about making a decision on what they heard during the interviews and what came out of those interviews was management style. In addition to the reasons in Reilly's motion, McLaughlin added several others such as esprit de corps, and community policing
VOTE: Substitute motion: Two Ayes; three, nays (Reilly, McLaughlin and Olivieri)
Motion fails
VOTE: Original motion: Three, ayes; two, nays (Hersch and Meschino)
Motion passes to appoint Richard K. Billings as the next Chief of the Hull Police Department
Reilly asked for a motion to state: The town Manager is authorized to provide a detailed narrative stating the reasons to the head of the Massachusetts Human Resource Division for appointing Richard K. Billings as the next Hull Police Chief. Said statement to be consistent with the motion passed and the credentials presented and the Board
MOVED-Hersch: So moved
SECOND-McLaughlin.
Following the advise of Town Counsel, the motion was amended by consensus to delete the words in the motion “upon receipt of the statement of the reasons by the administrator” and insert the words “at the earliest time provided by law”.
Selectmen Continued Meeting 9/30/04
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Sergeant Sawtelle thanked the Board for its courtesy, as did Captain Billings who said that he hoped he would earn the Members' trust and thanked the board for the appointment.
Meeting adjourned.
November 9, 2004
APPROVED
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