By Mike Donoghue, Senior Correspondent
The Woodstock Village Trustees, after a special closed-door meeting this week, voted to reverse their earlier decision and have now agreed to release to the public their final report supporting the demotion of Police Chief Joe Swanson to patrol officer.
The Vermont Standard and possibly others had filed under Vermont’s Public Records Law for access to the report by the five trustees that supported a demotion request by Municipal Manager Eric Duffy, but had been withheld on the advice of legal counsel.
After spending about two hours behind closed doors for two executive sessions on Monday, the Village Trustees voted 4-0 — with Brenda Blakeman absent — to release their 47-page written decision.
Trustee Chair Seton McIlroy, when asked about the board’s motion, declined to explain the move. Instead, McIlroy told the audience they could ask Duffy about the board’s action. The Trustees then quickly adjourned without taking a vote.
The board had called the special meeting to discuss with two village lawyers, John Klesch and Matt Bloomer, their legal analysis of the request to release the public record.
The other agenda item was for an executive session to discuss a new lawsuit filed by Swanson against the village and town, and others. Selectboard Chair Ray Bourgeois and Vice Chair Susan Ford were invited into that session.
Because there was not a quorum of the Selectboard members, they did not have to warn the public about their meeting under Vermont law.
There was no known action taken on that issue.
Please click HERE for the full report.
