From the sounds of it, there were some fireworks at last night’s Advisory Committee meeting over the issue of whether to reimburse legal fees for town employees involved in the so-called Southborough Eight investigation last year.
The Metrowest Daily News reports several town residents showed up to oppose the proposal.
Part of the opposition centered on the fact that many documents related to the investigation — including the final report and minutes of key meetings — have never been released, or have been released only in a heavily redacted form.
From the Metrowest Daily News:
Residents told the committee last night that they think taxpayers should have access to the unreleased report and executive session minutes before deciding whether to reimburse the employees for legal fees they incurred during the investigation.
Cordaville Road resident Nancy Vargas said she’s made five public records requests to the town for those documents as well as other documents she thinks need to be in the hands of voters.
Specifically, she mentioned sealed documents between the town and its insurance company that detail why the insurance company refused to reimburse the employees when asked by the town.
After the discussion, the Advisory Committee voted unanimously to support the reimbursement article. Voters will get the final say at Town Meeting next month.
You can read more about last night’s meeting in the Metrowest Daily News.
