Resignations make for tough road ahead

WINSTED — Dealing with the resignations of two key town employees this summer will be a daunting task, but Mayor Candy Perez said she is forging ahead and hoping to oversee smooth transitions at Town Hall in the face of sudden challenges.

The one-two punch came last week, as Winchester Police Chief Nicholas Guerriero announced he is leaving to take on private work, followed by Town Manager Wayne Dove’s sudden change of heart regarding his position, announced in an e-mail from the mayor late on the night of Wednesday, Aug. 18.

“I think he’s just reevaluating things and realizing that life is short,� Perez said of Dove’s decision to leave the top office at Town Hall. “I’m not going to add to any speculation about it.�

Dove, who gave notice that his last day will be Oct. 29, did not return repeated calls to his office this week for comment and did not offer an explanation in a face-to-face discussion last week.

Chief Guerriero, on the other hand, explained that he has found an opportunity to work in the private sector, but declined to specify the new job.

With the town manager position a top priority, Perez called a meeting for Wednesday night at Town Hall, where the town manager search committee that hired Dove last November was reactivated. The committee includes selectmen Karen Beadle (chairman), Glenn Albanesius and George Closson.

“They have the applications from the last search, so I’m sure they’re going to pull those out. We’ll do a quick ad to see if anyone else is interested,� Perez said.

The mayor noted that an Election Day (Nov. 2) referendum has been scheduled regarding changing the charter to allow town managers to reside outside the town of Winchester. She said she hopes the charter change passes. “I think the referendum question will be extremely important, and I would ask the community to support it so we can attract the best candidates, both here and outside of town.�

Since Dove’s resignation is effective at the end of October, the charter-change referendum will directly impact the open position, but Perez said she hopes to get the interview process going ahead of time. “I would think we could get the process finished and appoint someone after we know the referendum results,� she said. “There’s no reason we can’t interview before that.�

Conceivably, the Board of Selectmen could end up with two final candidates — one from Winchester and one from outside of town. “Once we know the ballot answer on Nov. 2, we would be ready to appoint someone,� Perez said. “Wayne has said he would be glad to review things with whomever we hire. He’s not that far away if we need him to help. Plus, the Town Hall staff is great. They’re very helpful.�

Perez also noted that Dove gave plenty of advance notice. “The good news is he is here through October,� she said. “He has really done a good job about getting Town Hall in order in terms of process and procedure. He has established meetings with department heads and I think everyone understands the idea of service to the community and being accountable. Performance reviews are happening on a timely basis and everyone is able to make decisions in their departments.�

Perez said she hopes the town can find a manager with qualifications similar to Dove’s. “We will be fortunate if we can find someone with his talent to continue the process. I think if we do our job correctly we can make the transition go smoothly.�

Perez acknowledged that the loss of the town manager will be seen as a setback to the town and that some members of the community have taken a pessimistic stance regarding the town’s fiscal affairs. “I think it’s important that everybody know that words have an impact,� she cautioned. “There are people involved in leadership positions in town who are making negative statements. You have to realize that what you say and do has an impact. Perception does matter, so I would just ask that everyone realize that positive suggestions and input help. We can have different views, as long as we have a professional discussion.�

Beyond that, the mayor said, she’ll be taking the same approach as a NASCAR driver who sees a dangerous situation developing ahead on the track. “It is what it is,� she said. “You have to deal with it. You have to keep on the path and stay steady through the course.�

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