Board seat remains open after controversial vote
Published on April 14th, 1999
STONEHAM, MA - Many in attendance of Tuesday night's Board of Selectmen meeting left the Town Hall Hearing Room disappointed with what they had witnessed. Selectmen joined with the four remaining members of the Planning Board in a joint committee in order to fill the vacancy which was caused when Franklin Street resident Frank Vallarelli formally vacated his seat on the Planning Board last Tuesday.
The joint committee decided to extend the filing date for those wishing to assume the seat instead of moving forward with the three applications which had been received prior to the original, April 7 cutoff date.
"I believe we have as many as five different people interested in this position," said Selectman Anthony Kennedy. "I suggest we take our time and choose the best possible candidate."
A number of meeting attendees and committee members opposed this stance, however, saying that principal and precedent were being thrown out the window. They stated that since a legal notice was duly advertised in the Stoneham Independent and since only three residents had filed before the date stipulated in the notice, a vote should be taken immediately as originally planned.
Selectman Darin Leahy, in his first meeting on the board, made a motion asking that late applications not be accepted.
"I feel we have an obligation to vote on this on time on this date," he said.
With nine members in the joint committee, a majority five votes) was needed to deny the late application of John Biggio, an Emery Court resident who lost his bid for a third term as selectman just last week. Biggio filed his papers on April 8, one day after the deadline.
Five committee members voted against the motion with Chairman Al Conti tendering the deciding vote.
Calthea Street resident Kathleen Danieli, who ran against Planning Board member Kevin Dolan last week and lost by a narrow margin, said that she deserved the opportunity to be appointed to the board despite the fact that she hadn't filed for the vacant seat.
"I keep hearing people talk about fairness. Forty-six percent of people who came out and voted felt confident that I should be on the board," she stated. "I don't know why he (Vallarelli) waited until the sixth or the seventh to resign. I would like you to consider that I would be the best candidate for the position."
Danieli further questioned why the three people who had filed on time - Chestnut Street resident Matthew Kilty, Tamarock Terrace resident Daniel Moynihan and Walsh Avenue resident Lawrence Allen - hadn't taken the time to run a campaign for the seat.
"The Planning Board seat should be an elected one, but Mr. Vallarelli resigned the day of the election. I am strongly encouraging you to please consider that."
"I put my name in on time," said Kilty, who was in attendance at the meeting. "It's no one's business why I didn't run against Mr. Dolan. That's my business."
Crystal Drive resident Charles DeCoste said that the joint committee was in a tenuous position and urged that a vote be taken on the appointment at that time.
"This is a legal notice (that was published). This is a public notice and if this board doesn't vote on this tonight, I think it sets a terrible precedence. I think it would leave a bad taste in people's mouths," he said.
"I'm just disgusted with what I see tonight," said another resident in attendance. "We all have to be accountable and I'd like to see the board set a standard for accountability in the community."
The board then acted on a motion to republicize the opening (page 14) and extend the application process until April 21. Again, five voted for the extension with Conti as the deciding vote. The joint committee will meet again on April 27 to appoint a new member of the Planning Board. All candidates must reapply for the seat.
"I do believe we should give others the chance (to apply)," Conti stated. "I don't know why the resignation was done the way it was done (on election day). I would have preferred if it was the election that decided it.
"I don't think there's any harm to the community in this (vote). We didn't ask for this. I think it's an unfortunate mess but, if we get more candidates, I don't see how that can hurt the town."
Evergreen Road resident Craig Celli summarized what he saw at the meeting by saying, "We have elected officials sitting around the table tonight discussing the merits of what was voted on. Policy and precedent have to mean something and, right now, it doesn't mean anything."
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