Town of Barnstable Town Manager Thomas Lynch
HYANNIS – Barnstable Town Manager Thomas Lynch said he is seeking to set the record straight.
Lynch has sent a letter to Eric Steinhilber, chairman of the Town Manager Search Committee, asking that the record be corrected as to his actions regarding his job. It was during a presentation by Steinhilber and the vice chair of the committee, Sara Cushing, that, Lynch says, an incorrect statement was made regarding his actions.
A majority of the Barnstable Town Council at its September 3 meeting voted to hire a consultant to go out for a global search for a town manager. Lynch’s contract expires at the end of June. He has been invited to submit his resume and apply for the job.
Town Council President Jessica Rapp-Grassetti said Lynch did not let the council know in writing that he was interested in renewing his contract. It was that statement, part of the town council president’s charge of the Search Committee, that Lynch sought to correct.
Lynch said he asked Rapp-Grassetti if they could sit down to discuss the contract but Rapp-Grassetti never got back to him.
Rapp-Grassetti sent a letter yesterday in response to Lynch’s letter disputing Lynch’s claims.
Lynch explained why it is important to him that the record be corrected.
“One reason I want to clarify the fact that I was never requested to submit something in writing regarding my contract extension, is that the search committee, or perhaps a future employer that I might have, would look into this and say, why didn’t you respond to a simple request so that you could sit down and talk. That non-responsiveness would reflect poorly on my professionalism,” he said.
Lynch got up to speak at the last town council meeting to clarify his position, but Rapp-Grassetti opted not to recognize him.
In addition to addressing the letter to Steinhilber, Lynch’s letter was also sent to Rapp-Grassetti, Council Vice Chair Ann Canedy, Barnstable Town Clerk Ann Quirk, Town Attorney Ruth Weil and Human Resources Director Bill Cole.
Upon receiving Lynch’s letter, Rapp-Grassetti wrote a response to Steinhilber disputing Lynch’s version of events.
By LAURA M. RECKFORD, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
Absolutely amazing. Here we go again with town politics. As a non resident homeowner and taxpayer in the town of Barnstable ,and accordingly no voting rights, I shake my head in amazement at the absolute foolishness, childish nature that the Town Council acts and re-acts to certain situations. In this case it pertains to the town manager and council. The council gave the manager a glowing evaluation about a year ago now let’s advertise his job because a couple of councilors are like little children because the Manager maybe didn’t jump to their whims fast enough. This is deja vu of the Klimm fiasco. Let’s see how much this raises my taxes with any kind of lawsuit and/or settlement brought on by Mr. Lynch because of Madam President’s cavalier and reign with terror approach to local politics. Ironically some of the same council members who spearheaded the Klimm debacle are right back on the council going for round two. There is an old saying “ain’t broke don’t fix it” seems to apply to the Managers’s job performance that the council glowingly endorsed not too long ago. So politics as usual in Barnstable. When i visit my home in Barnstable there are many times I will watch the council on local access TV. My wife asks me why I watch. I tell her this is the best TV you can find; Comedy,drama, ineptitude and a collection of characters (Council members) right out of a sophomoric TV show. Problem is this show is real. Maybe Barnstable can have it’s own Emmy award show. I think we would have some winners from the Town Council.