Opposition voiced on Dunn's decision to dismiss human resources head

By Scott Benjamin

BROOKFIELD -- Just five weeks into his second tenure as first selectman, Steve Dunn is facing criticism on multiple fronts regarding his decision to dismiss longtime human resources director Fern Smenyak.

Municipal officials, town employees and residents expressed their dismay - saying that Smenyak had a "stellar record" under three different first selectman since former First Selectman Bill Tinsley hired her in 2014.

During public comment at the January 8 regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen, Economic Development Commission Chairman Jim Fisher said that Dunn's decision on December 7 was "uncalled for" an "embarrassment" and urged the selectmen to "get her back to work."

He added that it placed a "bad smell" on the start of Dunn's second tenure as first selectman. Dunn was sworn in on December 4 and the decision was made just three days later.

Other speakers indicated that there was a petition with 144 signatures in support of reinstating Smenyak and that she had maintained an "excellent rapport" with the municipal employees.

Austin Monteiro, who ran for first selectman as a petitioning candidate in 2021, said the decision was made "without cause" and urged the selectmen to "be bigger people" and reverse it.

During the public comment, Smenyak, who also has coordinated youth sports programs in town, said that Dunn had indicated that she should not pursue an appeal of his decision since Selectman Bob Belden, who was Dunn's running mate in the recent municipal election agreed with it.

Selectman Tara Carr said that Dunn's action violated the town charter for, among other reasons, the failure to discuss his decision at the next meeting of the Board of Selectmen, which would have been the special meeting on December 18.

Interim Town Counsel Tom Beecher indicated that the next meeting would, in effect, be the next regular meeting of the board.

Carr, who served as first selectman from 2021 to 2023. She defeated Dunn by 218 votes in the 2021 election but lost to him in the 2023 race by 407 votes.

She said that Dunn has promised during the recent municipal campaign to be transparent.

"Town employees want to know, residents want to know" why Dunn took this action, Carr added.

She declared that the decision appeared to be "very politically motivated."

Dunn replied, "You can think that, but it is not true."

Reportedly, there had been conflicts between Dunn and other municipal officials over his request for special pension considerations when he was departing the first selectman's office slightly more than two years ago.

In her comments, Smenyak that she "enforced the rules" of the town at that juncture.

She said that there was "no good reason" for her dismissal and attributed it to "retaliation." She said there were "never any complaints about my performance."

During the recent campaign, Dunn indicated multiple times that he had not done anything wrong regarding the pension issue.

At the selectmen's meeting, he declined to discuss his reasons for dismissing Smenyak, saying that it would be inappropriate to comment on personnel issues in public.

Belden, a former chairman of the Board of Finance and the Board of Education, said that, for example, the Board of Education has strict policies on not discussing personnel matters publicly.

"We don't do employee discussions at public meetings," he explained. "It is not something that we should be doing."

On another topic, on a 2-1 vote the selectmen approved a tax abatement for Emporium Plaza, which is under construction at 731 Federal Road and should open this summer. The project will feature a grocery store, retail outlets and apartments.

Dunn said this would be only the second tax abatement granted by the town. The other occurred nearly a decade ago under Tinsley's administration for Brookfield Village, the retail and housing that has become one of the anchors in the 198-acre Brookfield Town Center.

He said that during his previous administration there had been discussion with Branson Ultrasonic for a tax abatement for their facility, which is located in the Berkshire Corporate Park. Dunn added that the town didn't reach an agreement with Branson.

Dunn said the tax abatement was being proposed to address the 36 public parking spaces that the developers at Emporium Plaza would provide. He said some of those spaces would regularly accommodate people using the nearby Still River Greenway .

During a report at the meeting, Jay Annis, the chairman of the ad-hoc committee for the Still River Greenway, said counters at the site indicate that 563 people use it daily, the third highest total from the census data for greenways in Connecticut.

Dunn said that the town would benefit financially because it otherwise would have to construct and maintain that number of parking spaces.

Carr, who voted against the proposal, said that construction already was under way at Emporium Plaza and it would open regardless of whether or not there was a tax abatement. Construction began in June 2021.

Dunn said that Brookfield resident Paul Scalzo, the real estate agent for the project, has indicated that the abatement was needed for the grocery store to proceed. He emphasized that the addition of a grocery store in Brookfield Town Center was a component of the the town's Plan Of Conservation and Development.

Belden said he agreed with Dunn that the abatement would be cost-effective for Brookfield.