Search for new conservation agent underway

~ Details surface in former agent’s dismissal ~

After a tumultuous past few months that ended with the termination of longtime Conservation Agent Bob Murphy, the Canton Conservation Commission has begun to move forward with new business under the guidance of interim agent Brooke Monroe, an environmental scientist and consultant based in Plymouth.

Monroe, who owns Pinebrook Consulting, was tabbed by ConCom earlier this month to serve as a temporary replacement while the town conducts an open search for a permanent conservation agent. That search is currently underway and has netted an initial pool of eight applicants, according to Selectmen Chairman Bob Burr.

It is not known whether Monroe has applied or is planning to apply for the permanent position, which is listed on the town website as “open until filled.”

Burr said he expects the Conservation Commission to interview four to six candidates before passing along its recommendations to the Board of Selectmen. The selectmen will then conduct public interviews of each recommended candidate before making its final decision at an upcoming meeting.

As for the board’s decision to cut ties with Murphy, Burr offered no comment other than to confirm that selectmen had indeed voted to terminate the town’s contract with Danena Inc., a consulting and engineering firm owned and operated by Murphy for the past 20 years.

Selectmen did not say why they chose to move on from Murphy and have remained tight-lipped about the matter since announcing the termination of the contract in early December. However, multiple town sources indicate that there had been an erosion of trust between ConCom members and Murphy in the weeks leading up to his dismissal — to the point that four of the seven commission members were prepared to resign in protest unless Murphy either stepped down himself or was ordered to do so by the Board of Selectmen.

Sources say the relationship between the two sides quickly deteriorated after commission members learned of an alleged interest that Murphy held in M&M Engineering — a firm that has provided engineering services to at least eight Canton properties over the past two years.

According to a copy of the minutes from a November 7 executive session held by ConCom and later obtained by the Citizen, Murphy neither recused himself from hearings involving the aforementioned properties, nor did he disclose to ConCom members the nature of his relationship with M&M Engineering. Instead, ConCom members discovered on their own in October that Murphy was in fact the president of the company and that the “M&M” in the name refers to both Murphy and Jim Miller, a former Stoughton town engineer.

ConCom members, according to the November 7 meeting minutes, told a representative of town counsel in the presence of Murphy that a line had been crossed with regard to the state conflict of interest law, and they ultimately voted 5-2 to request Murphy’s resignation. A week later, members of ConCom reaffirmed their position in what sources say was a highly charged meeting with selectmen.

The joint meeting, which was attended by Murphy, eventually ended in a stalemate after two selectmen (Victor Del Vecchio and Sal Salvatori) voted to support ConCom’s request and dismiss Murphy, two members (John Connolly and Avril Elkort) voted against the request, and one member (Burr) determined that he was not prepared to vote.

Sources say the two sides were scheduled to reconvene three days later; however, selectmen called off the meeting after being told that Murphy was planning to resign. Three weeks later, on December 4, selectmen announced the termination of the town’s contract with Danena Inc.

Both Burr and Conservation Commission Chairman Deb Sundin declined to comment on Murphy’s dismissal, and calls placed to Murphy by the Citizen have not been returned.

In the meantime, an anonymous letter has begun circulating around town that details Murphy’s alleged involvement with M&M Engineering. The letter, signed by “Canton Citizens for Honest Government,” was mailed last week to the abutters of properties that were granted permits by ConCom and also had work done by M&M.

The letter includes details about the executive session held by ConCom and the joint executive session between ConCom and the BOS. The letter also strongly criticizes selectmen Connolly and Elkort, who sources say initially defended Murphy. Lastly, the letter targets the developers of the listed properties for their decision to hire M&M, and it criticizes the 90 percent of voters who “never bother to vote in local elections.”

Share This Post

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=18687