Down to the Wire: Council on Aging Asked Alix Turner to Stay On, She's Willing...Just Waiting on the Town Now. (Sign the petition!)

 

Photo by Agê Barros on Unsplash

Council on Aging Director Alix Turners last day will be tomorrow, July 1st, unless the town acts quickly.  But the good news is: on Monday the Council on Aging asked her to stay on, and she's willing to do so -- to transition, or whatever is needed.  As of last night, though, the town has not taken her up on that.

The Council on Aging met on Monday, and voted to ask Alix to stay on.  Alix said that she would make herself available for whatever they need: be it to transition or otherwise.   I exchanged some emails with Steve Kerrigan yesterday. 

I asked "Did she offer to withdraw her resignation?" and Steve Kerrigan replied "No. She did not."

I asked "As I understand it, the COA voted on Monday to ask her to stay, and she's willing to do so.  What's needed now to make that happen?"

I have not heard back from him regarding that last question -- but it needs to happen soon, as Alix's resignation would be official tomorrow.   As of yesterday, Alix has not been asked to stay on.

On Wednesday the Select Board met to review a verbal complaint against Alix from the previous town administrator, related to brownies left out after an event.  Alix had requested this hearing to challenge than complaint.    The Select Board moved immediately to remove the complaint from her records as soon as the hearing opened, without discussion.   At Alix's hearing on  June 13th this complaint was included as a step in the town's progressive discipline process -- it could have been a precursor to her termination.

This month the complaints against Alix Turner that were reviewed at her hearing on June 13th have been available for the town to review:

• a receipt listing a glass of wine at a Seniors outing
• consternation from the Fire Department that seniors contact Alix when they're in need of assistance
• an email to the public about the Community Center's status amid a time confusion at town hall. 

The complaints have not endured public scrutiny well, and the dismissal of the "BrownieGate" complaint from December supports what's quickly becoming the consensus opinion in Lancaster: if Alix felt she was being persecuted, she certainly had good reason to feel that way.

The right thing now is for the town to reach out to Alix and welcome her to stay on.

I started a petition to try to communicate to Steve Kerrigan, who is Chair of the Select Board and appointed to be Alix's boss at a meeting on the 15th, how important it is to Lancaster that we resolve this before Alix's resignation takes effect.   If you care to sign or share the petition, the link is below:

Petition Link