Bethel board tables action on police chief's appeal

Terry Karkos/Sun Journal

Bethel Selectmen Don Bennett, left, and Dennis Doyon listen as Chairman Stanley Howe convenes Tuesday night's special board meeting at which there were two closed-door sessions to discuss a personnel matter involving police Chief Alan Carr. After returning to open session, the board voted to table the matter without disclosing what the issue is about.

 

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- Terry Karkos/Sun Journal

BETHEL — Selectmen met behind closed doors twice Tuesday night, then voted to table police Chief Alan Carr's appeal of an action taken against him Sept. 25 by Town Manager Jim Doar.

The two executive sessions were to discuss a personnel matter, officials said, but they would not say what the issue is with Carr.

Selectman Dennis Doyon motioned to enter into the first secret session between the board and its attorney, John Lloyd, of Brunswick. The agenda stated it was to allow selectmen to discuss a personnel matter with Doar, Doar's attorney Geoff Hole, Lloyd and Carr. However, Doar, Hole and Carr, and Town Clerk Christen Mason, who is the board's secretary, were excluded by Doyon's motion.

Doar said last month that neither he nor selectmen can talk about Doar's action against Carr due to employee privacy laws. Doar has refused to substantiate rumors that he fired Carr.

While selectmen were behind closed doors, former Bethel Town Manager Scott Cole arrived. He had hired Carr on April 1, 2004.

When selectmen and Lloyd returned to public session 20 minutes after the start of the board meeting, Doyon made a motion for a second executive session. This time, selectmen, their attorney, Doar, Carr and Hole were included. When asked by Lloyd, Carr said he didn't have a lawyer with him for the meeting.

About five minutes later, Doar, Carr and Hole left the executive session and met privately in Doar's office for a few minutes and then returned to the closed session with selectmen.

Minutes later, the board returned to the open meeting and Doyon motioned to table the matter, which was voted. They did not say when it would be continued. By that time, he had already left.

"We can't talk about anything," Howe said when asked what matter was before the board.

Outside, Selectman Robert Everett told a resident, who arrived late for the meeting, that he couldn't divulge why the board met with Carr.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com