Selectmen Hit With 5 Open Meeting Law Complaints

STOUGHTON, MA — Five open meeting law complaints have been recently filed against the Stoughton Board of Selectmen, with the board recently voting to take action on only one.

Tuesday night, the board reviewed the accusations. The complaints come from three residents, with four of them focused on the board's July 20 and 25 meetings. The allegations, filed by Patricia Yanikoski and Barbara Anzivino, state that during the agenda item “To Consider and Appoint an Interim Town Manager,” the board did not take the time to consider a candidate and appointed Steve Anastos without discussion.

Yanikoski accused the board of previously discussing the matter away from the selectmen’s table, which would be an open meeting law violation. Peter Brown denied any wrongdoing.

“I don’t mind the assumptions but I dismiss the implications of dishonesty. In the alleged complaint, it’s unbeknownst to me how someone can assume that when it didn’t take place,” he said.

At the July 20 meeting, Selectman Robert Cohn brought forth Anastos' name as a possible interim town manager and the board voted to enter negotiations with the former selectman. Five days later, the board voted to appoint Anastos the town manager, despite the fact that some selectmen claimed that they had yet to read the contract. Brown replied that he sent out the proposed contract to his fellow board members about three hours before the meeting.

Both votes at the July 20 meeting were 3-2, with selectmen Michael Sullivan and Robert O’Reagan voting no.

At Tuesday’s meeting the board voted 3-2 to take no action on the four complaints, with Sullivan and O'Reagan voting in the negative. A motion by O’Reagan to nullify the vote that made Anastos interim town manager failed 2-3.

A fifth complaint accused the board of breaking the open meeting law by not announcing at the start of the July 25 meeting that it was being recorded and aired by Stoughton Media Access Corporation. While it is noted on all agendas that the meetings are recorded, Chairman David Sousa asked Anastos to place signs outside the meeting hall notifying the public that their meetings are recorded by SMAC.

Town attorney Brian Winners said that would likely satisfy that complaint.

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