Perkins contract approved after concerns raised about responsibilities

MIDDLEBORO — Select Board members have approved a contract for Joseph Perkins to serve as interim town manager but not before some lively discussion about how much responsibility the position should entail. At the Feb. 26 meeting, Select Board Vice Chair Teresa Farley proposed a change to the contract to prevent Perkins from being able to fire or hire employees or negotiate.

Her change would require the board to approval decisions Perkins might make “outside the normal working day.’’

The contract, which took effect Feb. 23, would pay former Police Chief Perkin $105 an hour for up to 32 hours of work per week, excluding emergency situations. The original contract called for $110 an hour, Select Board Chair Mark Germain said, but Perkins reduced that amount on his own.

Perkins will remain in the position until Aug. 23 at the latest, the contract states. He will receive no benefits.

Farley said she respects Perkins personally but noted that, unlike recent interim town manager Robert Nunes, Perkins has not previously helda town manager position.

Limiting his responsibilities would be “better for all involved to make sure that he has what he needs’’ to succeed, Farley said.  “I want to make sure he is put in the position to do the best job he can do.’’

Other Select Board members questioned her request.

“Why are we restricting one of the most respected men in Middleboro?’’ Select Board member Thomas White said. “I’m not in favor of putting a man in that position and tying their hands and feet.’’

White was confident that if Perkins “was in doubt or needed our input, he would come to us.’’

Select Board member Brian Giovanoni noted that town charter calls for a “strong’’ town manager with full rights and responsibilities inherent in the position.

He questioned why that wording should not apply to Perkins.

“I feel like I’m missing something,’’ he said.

At a previous meeting, Select Board members authorized Germain to negotiate a contract with Perkins, who the board had selected as interim town manager. He temporarily replaces Town Manager Jay McGrail, who is leaving March 4 to become Harwich Town Administrator.

Farley said there had been previous board discussion of having Perkins serve as a “weak town manager,’’ with limited responsibilities.

Other Select Board members replied that, although the issue may have been part of a discussion, the ultimate vote included no such direction.

Germain stated that Farley had reached out to Town Counsel Gregg Corbo to draft a new agreement. She was “not authorized to do’’ that, Germain said, because all such requests for town counsel involvement need to be approved by the town manager due in part to the cost incurred.

Farley apologized for not following procedure but noted she had never done that before.

Germain said the details of the contract deliberately reflected the wording of the town charter. 

“I would not bring forward anything that does not follow town charter,’’ he said.

There are already limitations to a town manager’s power, Germain stated. The town manager “answers to the Select Board. We have the authority to direct him or her. He’s not out there doing whatever he wants.’’

Discussion between Farley and Germain briefly got heated.

Farley told Germain that, although as chair he runs the meeting, “you are only one member of this board. I have asked for decisions that are made to be made as a board. Your role is not to tell me if I can do something or not.’’

Germain asked her to cite examples of decisions not made by the board overall. “I don’t know what your problem is with me these last couple of months,’’ he said.

She did not publicly cite examples. White replied that there “appear to be a power struggle’’ going on.

In the end, the board voted against Farley’s requested changes and approved the contract by a 4-1 vote, with only Farley voting in opposition.