Less than two months after Select Board chair David Golden promised “a restoration of collegiality,” tensions between him and former chair Kevin Canty rose to the surface again during this week’s board meeting.
The latest clash began when Golden, clearly directing his remarks to Canty, asked board members not to repeatedly ask during meetings that topics be placed on the agendas of future meetings.
“Persistent requests on updates on the specific timing of individual items distract from our shared responsibilities, make staff, fellow board members, and the public uncomfortable, and undermine the collaborative tone that we worked hard to rebuild in our recent workshop,” said Golden, who appeared to be reading a prepared statement.
His comment about the workshop referred to the board’s public session at the Center Hill Preserve on Oct. 21 to discuss how members can work together. It followed Golden’s coordinated move in September to oust Canty, who had only been serving as chair since May.
“If you would like to request an update or request about your individual items, please reach out to me directly,” Golden said.
Canty then asked that Golden share a detailed list of future agenda items beyond the brief rundown posted at the end of the public agenda every week. Canty said the detailed list would help board members alert the public about when a particular item is to be discussed.
“I know for some of the items that I have requested that I have been told that you were working on that item, which is not what I requested,” Canty told Golden. “I requested that it be put on the agenda so that so that we can discuss it as a board and work on it as a board.”
At that point, Golden cut Canty off.
“Mr. Canty, I’m not going to be lectured by you on how to set the agenda,” he said. “We’re in this position because of your handling of the agenda.”
When Golden moved against Canty in September – with the support of board members Bill Keohan and Dick Quintal – it was over their simmering dissatisfaction with how Canty was running meetings.
“The agenda was being dominated by a single person,” Golden said of Canty at the time.
Tuesday night, Canty turned that criticism on Golden.
“I would say that the way you’re handling it is not appreciatively better than the way it was handled before,” he said.
The other two members of the board present Tuesday, Deb Iaquinto and Bill Keohan, remained silent throughout the charged exchange.
Canty has pushed to place several items on the agenda, most recently discussion of how the town’s climate action plan is affected by the recent denial of a $3 million state grant that was to be used to transform Court and Main streets, making them more walkable, more aesthetically pleasing, and more climate resilient. Golden has placed that topic on the agenda for Nov. 18.
“Mr. Golden complained loudly in September that I wouldn’t put an item on an agenda fast enough for his tastes, but now he’s unwilling to listen to any criticism for him postponing placing several items on our agenda since,” Canty said in an email. “He’s also taking it upon himself to ‘work on’ items other board members want on agendas behind the scenes instead of allowing all of us to weigh in on them during an open meeting as we requested. As I said back in September, I wasn’t a perfect chair, but Mr. Golden’s conduct speaks for itself.”
Golden on Thursday declined to comment on his interaction with Canty, pointing to what he said in the meeting.
In an email Thursday, Iaquinto – who voted in September to keep Canty as chair – avoided directly addressing the conflict between the two men.
“The board has a great deal of work to do and no shortage of issues to address,” she said. “We need to prioritize based on what’s in the best interests of the town and get on with it.”
Keohan did not respond to a request for comment.
Quintal left Tuesday’s meeting to attend another meeting and missed the exchange between Golden and Canty.
Fred Thys can be reached at fred@plymouthindependent.org.