Montville Parks & Recreation: No one sure who’s in charge

Spate of recent resignations reflects unclear lines of authority between town’s commission, department

— Despite the town filling

Montville three of the four vacant positions on the Parks & Recreation Commission, questions persist about its working relationship with the Parks & Recreation Department.

Four commissioners resigned in June. Former Chairwoman Karen Perkins, Vice Chairwoman Danielle Butzgy and Secretary Dawn Penman noted frustration with Parks & Rec Department Director Peter Bushway as the primary reason for their departures. Commissioner Mark Bushwack resigned earlier in June for reasons unrelated to the other three resignations. He cited “unforeseen issues and obligations” in his resignation letter.

Last week, the Town Council appointed Noah Carver, Jon Chase and Morgan Matthewson to the commission. Two days later, the commission formally elected the officers during its meeting. The council is expected to interview candidates for the final open position at its Aug. 10 meeting.

New commission Chairwoman Jennifer Hajj suggested the town formalize the working relationship between the commission and the department. The question is whether the commission formulates plans for the department to implement, or the department comes with plans to the commission for it to review before implementation.

Bushway didn’t comment on the resignations until the end of last Wednesday’s meeting. He has not responded to requests for comment from The Day. During the meeting, Chase called the spate of resignations an “unusual experience” and said he wasn’t completely clear on why Perkins, Butzgy and Penman left the commission.

The question is whether the commission formulates plans for the department to implement, or the department comes with plans to the commission for it to review before implementation.

He used his remarks at the end of the meeting to continue the discussion of the commission's roles and responsibilities in conjunction with the department that the Town Council began in earnest last month.

“I took time to look at sections of the Town Charter that relate to our responsibilities,” Chase said. “Looking at the situation I'm presented with, for whatever reason, there may have been some confusion or misunderstanding about what some of these responsibilities are.”

Chase had a number of documents such as the town charter and ordinances for commissioners to consider at the meeting. He also brought up a 2008 legal review of the relationship between the recreation commission and the recreation department, as well as the mayor, which gave broad powers to the commission in handling the “responsibility for the management, control and development of the town's parks and recreational facilities.”

“I certainly don't want to imply that I have any particular ax to grind or side to take,” Chase said. “I'm in favor of having this all out on the table” in order to clear up future questions.

While the three commissioners were not specific about how Bushway was not following through on commission directives, Hajj detailed her experience working with the department at the beginning of her tenure.

“When I first started, if I suggested something, if I didn't write it, and own it, and volunteer it, it didn't happen,” Hajj said. “I have lots of ideas, and I thought the department was going to run with those.”

She said she didn't know if Bushway was made aware of issues with commissioners before their resignations.

“I don't know that anybody outside a meeting has come up to him and expressed disdain for his performance,” Hajj said. “I don't know, without it being blatantly said, that he would have put those pieces together, or if maybe it's not that important to him — commissioners come and go. Some like him, some don't; maybe that's part of the position.”

“That's the essential point that everybody has disagreed with, however many commissioners back you go,” Hajj said.

Chase said perhaps the town could change its ordinances regarding the commission to more specifically reflect workflow between the two entities.

“If the Town Council, and the mayor, and nobody else wants to say how it's supposed to be, then we will have to decide how we want to work together as a commission,” Hajj said.

During last week's meeting, Hajj said commission members did not see the 2008 document outlining powers until after the resignations. On Sunday, she said commissioners, especially new members, need to know about the group's past in order to execute its functions in the future.

“It's helpful for somebody to have the whole history when they first start, otherwise we rehash the same issues over and over again,” Hajj said. “The memorandum is a legal comment on just this kind of question: What are the commission's responsibilities compared to the department? Why would you go to the trouble of having a legal memo created, then not provide it to people?”

The commission is set to further discuss its duties and authority at its Aug. 19 meeting.