BARRE — Tempers flared and an excremental expletive got an unusual workout at this week’s city council meeting.
It happens, and on Tuesday night it happened repeatedly as passive-aggression gave way to aggression and there were times it wasn’t clear who was in charge.
Before it was over the expletive was turned into a punchline by Councilor Teddy Waszazak and flippantly used by David Hough, who, in a candid moment, suggested some fellow members of the development review board: “… don’t give a (expletive deleted) about zoning.”
By that point, some version of the “S-word” had been used at least four other times during a sometimes-stormy appointment process that had Hough scratching his head.
“When I hear you guys having people that you’re turning down for positions, it’s scary,” Hough told councilors. “It’s scary hearing that and it’s scary hearing you guys fight with each other, too.”
Hough, who was reappointed to his seat on the review board, was referring to a protracted discussion that began with four applicants for three seats on the city’s diversity and equity committee and ended an hour, several expletives and some bruised feelings later with one still-to-be-filled-vacancy.
Two incumbents — Joelen Mulvaney and Christopher Roberts — were reappointed to the committee without dissent. Two other applicants — Alice Farrell and Raylene Meunière — were rejected on the strength of a pair of identical 4-3 votes.
Mayor Jake Hemmerick, who broke both ties, bristled at Councilor Michael Deering’s assertion the council had turned away “all” the applicants for the committee.
“We didn’t turn all of them away, we turned some of them away,” he said, prompting Councilor Thomas Lauzon to chime in.
“But, we did it in a ‘diverse, equitable and welcoming way,’” said Lauzon.
That’s how it ended.
It began with Mulvaney reading a prepared statement expressing her interest in being reappointed to the committee she has chaired since its inception and concern with how its members have been treated.
“We’ve experienced attacks on our work and on the character of committee members,” she said. “Much of our energy has been sapped by dealing with hostility, bullying, vilification, surveillance, extreme scrutiny and downright meanness with no grace for any errors or missteps along the way.”
Councilors, who voted to censure Mulvaney after she uttered an expletive aimed at Lauzon that was caught on a hot mic late last year, reappointed her on Tuesday night.
Lauzon made the motion, noting he and Mulvaney don’t always “see eye to eye,” but suggesting he appreciated her work on the committee.
“You’ve done a good job,” he told Mulvaney.
Things went down hill from there as Deering expressed concern about the committee’s most recent meeting — one during which Councilor Michael Boutin was asked if he was recording the session and, when he admitted he was, was ordered to stop by Mulvaney and complied.
From Deering’s perspective, the episode raised questions about “transparency and accountability,” while Hemmerick expressed concern about the tone of his remarks.
“I don’t want this to devolve into a caustic back and forth and that’s what I’m starting to hear,” the mayor said moments before he and Boutin were literally shouting at each other City Manager Nicolas Storellicastro seated between them.
First, Councilor Emel Cambel came to Mulvaney’s defense, saying she was beyond “horrified” at what she viewed as a disruption of the committee’s last meeting and hoped for better behavior going forward.
“If we’re really calling ourselves civilized, I’d like to see us treat each other differently,” she said.
What happened next wasn’t what Cambel had in mind.
Hemmerick picked up where Cambel left off
“We’ve lost some good members of this committee because they felt bullied and targeted,” he said, adding: “It’s pretty unacceptable behavior in my view that a sitting city councilor would …”
Hemmerick never finished because Boutin angrily cut him off with what proved to be the first of several unchecked expletives of the evening.
“OK, listen this is bulls--t and I’m not going to stand here and take this,” Boutin interjected. “That is unacceptable … sir!”
It didn’t stop there as the two men started to shout over each other even as Deering sought to shut it down by calling the question and Lauzon relied on the mayoral equivalent of muscle memory.
“You are both out of order!” snapped Lauzon, who served for 12 years as mayor before stepping down in 2018. “Stop it! Stop it! You’re out of order. Both of you! Both of you! Stop it!”
It worked, at least briefly, and the council unanimously voted to reappoint Mulvaney and Lauzon sought to lighten the mood.
“Congratulations, Joelen,” he told Mulvaney. “I hope it was memorable.”
The levity didn’t last and, after unanimously voting to reappoint Roberts to his seat on the city committee, the council turned its attention to the two Barre Town residents — Meunier and Farrell — who applied for the third seat.
Meunier was up first and she was quizzed about comments posted on social media and statements made on her podcast.
Hemmerick did some of the questioning, noting one of the statements was about him.
“You said: ‘This man (Hemmerick) knows nothing about the city or its history,’” Hemmerick quoted Meunier as saying. “He used to be a park ranger? Maybe that job better suits him, he can go (expletive deleted) in the woods with a bear.”
“Those are the values … that escalate conflicts,” Hemmerick told Meunier. “That’s why I’m a ‘no’ vote on your appointment.”
Meunier disputed some of the statements Hemmerick attributed to her, but acknowledged her critique of him was real and, she believed, accurate.
“I was very angry with you at the time and sometimes I don’t think that you do know anything about the city and you say some pretty (expletive deleted) things about the city,” she said, citing his public criticism of Barre Area Development Corp. and the Barre Partnership as examples.
“You say some pretty (expletive deleted) things just as much as I do,” she added.
Farrell, a former school board member, also faced questions about social media posts.
“It’s like a Supreme Court nomination here,” Lauzon said at one point.
With two applicants for a vacant seat on the committee, Lauzon said Meunier’s interest in continuing to serve on the planning commission was a consideration, prompting Hemmerick to note the council was discussing the diversity and equity committee.
Lauzon’s response was expletive-free, but pointed.
“Yeah, no kidding,” he said. “I can follow a council meeting. I did it (serve as mayor) for a dozen years.”
When Hemmerick told Lauzon to “move along” the suggestion provoked a similar response.
“You just let this discussion go on for an hour and you’re telling me to ‘move along’ in 30 seconds?” Lauzon asked Hemmerick.
Lauzon’s motion to appoint Farrell to the vacant seat failed, 4-3.
Before Hemmerick could move on, Lauzon offered Meunier as an alternative. The vote on that motion was the same with Hemmerick joining Waszazak, Cambel and Councilor Samn Stockwell in voting “no,” while Lauzon, Deering and Boutin were all “yes” votes.
Most of the appointments approved by councilors Tuesday night were made without dissent, though Meunier’s reappointment to the planning commission was one exception. Hemmerick and Waszazak both voted against it.
Hemmerick cited Meunier’s “behavior online” and a desire for “fresh energy” on the commission for his vote.
david.delcore
@timesargus.com
