Town Council Gives Nod to Lynch in Two-Year Deal

Of his ability, skill, acumen, demeanor and dedication to doing a superlative job in the past six months as Acting and Interim Town Manager, there was no dispute at Thursday night's Barnstable Town Council Meeting.

But in what some said was a sudden and unexpected "thrust" to offer former state representative and Barnstable Housing Authority executive director Tom Lynch a two-year contract "out of the blue," said councilor John Norman, bordered on the "outrageous."

Councilor Ann Canedy, who made a point to say she was selected neither for the nationwide search subcommittee nor the town manager compensation subcommittee, expressed her concerns with the process of the move to offer Lynch a contract but still made a conciliatory motion to instead offer Lynch a one-year deal. Her motion failed in an 11-1 vote. Her motion was preceded by a 9-3 vote to not postpone the evening's public hearing on the matter to June 7. 

The subsequent 9-3 vote to extend Lynch a two-year contract - which arose from an executive session town council meeting last Thursday night - was initiated during apparent subcommittee discussions about how to "bridge the gap" between Lynch's current contract expiration (June 15, 2012) and the town's need to find the best possible replacement for former Town Manager John Klimm.

But sort of lost in the tumult of last year's push by a council faction to oust Klimm by buying out the remainder of his contract, has been the stand-up, fully sincere and apt job performed by Lynch. Not a single, negative word was spoken about Lynch throughout last night's debate.

Lynch was hired in 2007 as the assistant town manager. The council nearly imploded last year when a group of councilors - most of whom were ousted in the November election - decided to make a move to buy out Klimm's contract, to the tune of nearly $500,000. All of that occurred on the heels of Klimm being given a near-flawless performance review by that same council, and then rewarded with a three-year contract.

Citing a "divisive" atmosphere in town hall, Klimm ceased functioning on a day-to-day basis in town hall in September and then officially departed from the town's employ in December. All the while, Lynch, first named "Acting Town Manager" then promoted to "Interim Town Manager" this winter, performed his duties and then some and in so doing helped, many supporters say, steer the "ship" back to what former town councilor Gloria Rudman termed, "a stable course."

Last week, but at what point is unknown, it was revealed last night that the interviews for candidates for town manager that had been set up through the nationwide search subcommittee were "all suddenly cancelled." A press conference was held Tuesday at Barnstable Town Hall following last Thursday's executive session to discuss the idea to offer Lynch a two-year deal and then on this week's council agenda appeared a council order to offer him the contract.

Norman called the move a "total surprise" and went as far to say that he's never so much as "seen his (Lynch's) personnel file" and that he felt it was critical to "fully vet" all candidates including Lynch. He made a point that his concerns were not about Lynch's "personality" but were hinged upon the "process" with which the deal was "thrust upon us."

It remains to be seen if any of the $25,000 appropriated by the council to conduct the search has been expended or if the full amount remains in the town coffers. Also left to be decided are the details of Lynch's contract and how much the concil plans to compensate him but it would not be outside the realm of logic if he were to receive more than his current rate of $143,000 annually.

All contract negotiations are conducted by the town in closed door, executive session.

Regardless, the simple fact that remained when the dust settled last night was that Lynch has a "majority" of the town's constituents behind him, as well as a majority of the town council.

One young man, barely old enough to vote, did not cast a cold eye toward Lynch during the council's public comment session, but instead called into question, quite precociously, the process with which the contract offer was being made.

"If you're going to do something," the young teenager Holden Romage said, "do it right."

Still, several others stepped up to the podium prior to the council's entertainment of the contract proposal and offered vast praise for the man, citing his remarkable "unflappability," "sense of humor," "collaborativeness," and his fine attention to detail.

Lynch even garnered the support of former longtime Town Manager Warren Rutherford of Marstons Mills, he himself no stranger to fiery debate in council chambers, who said "Tom's doing the job... the town needs stability in its executive office. Tom has served the town well."

In stark contrast, Hyannis resident John Julius termed the council's contract move "a disgrace" and "an insult" and that the advent of the move had been constructed in "the old Barnstable way, behind closed doors." He was soon told to "wrap it up" by council president Fred Chirigotis.

Lifetime Barnstable resident Felicia Penn echoed Mr. Julius' statements but was admittedly nearly speechless. "I'm flabbergasted," she said. "I just don't get it."

The public comment session ended with Rudman detailing the specific successes of Lynch's elected and professional career and called him a "seasoned, steady" administrator.

"It's not easy to do the right thing," she said. "In spite of intense pressure to do otherwise."

Unwavering when it came to his turn to speak about current town events at the meeting's close, Lynch matter-of-factly and quite humbly offered his recent success in lobbying the state to pledge more funds to the town for its Barnstable Harbor dredging project.

"I thank you for your confidence in me," he closed. "I will not let you down."