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As a Select Board member, Andy Friedmann’s statements pertaining to our Reading Police Officers are unacceptable and his subsequent apology incapable of repairing the damage his statements caused. I am of the opinion Andy has irretrievably lost the confidence and respect of the police department, fire department, town employees, and a majority of the citizens of
Reading. Furthermore, Andy’s statements have shined an embarrassing light on our community in the news media. For those reasons, I urge Andy to resign his position on the Reading Select Board, effective immediately.
Similarly – Vanessa Alvarado’s below actions are a basis for my request that she too resign from the Reading Select Board, effective immediately.
If Vanessa or Andy do not resign from the Select Board effective immediately, I urge the remainder of the Select Board to publicly censure Andy and Vanessa and exercise whatever legal means available to remove them from the Select Board.
Vanessa:
- As the Select Board Chair that sets the agenda – Failed to timely allow the Select Board to vote on approving or not approving the Town Manager’s selection for proposed Reading Police Chief. Also failed to schedule any preliminary meetings to address the selection, until 02/2020.
- Appears to have purposely delayed the vote until Select Board Member John Halsey was scheduled to no longer be a Select Board member, in an apparent attempt to seek her more preferred outcome for Reading Police Chief;
- Publicly accused another Select Board member, John Halsey, of “grandstanding” when John disclosed during the public meeting her failures to timely bring the Reading Police Chief matter to a vote;
Publicly admonished John Halsey for what she alleged was his “grandstanding” during the same meeting she failed to admonish Andrew Friedmann for his inappropriate comments; - Created unneeded and additional delays in the Reading Police Chief selection by attempting to supplant the delegated authority of the Reading Town Manager with the micromanaging involvement of the Select Board; thus, further damaging the relationship between the Select Board and the Town Manager;
- Explicitly failed/refused to acknowledge her individual failure as Select Board Chair in scheduling timely proceedings pertaining to the Police Chief selection (see 4:15:29 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn-FgFIn1j0&t=14518s);
- During a recent public meeting pertaining to a proposed sober house at the Daniels House location, the community elected one individual to represent in excess of 85 neighborhood residents in a dialogue with the property owner and business owner. Acting as the moderator of the meeting, Vanessa Alvarado on numerous occasions did not allow the neighborhood representative to ask more than a few questions.
Mr. Dockser, I am disappointed with your work on the Reading Select Board in regard to the above discussed matters. More specifically, you sat on the board and said not a single word in response to either Andrew Friedmann’s insulting comments pertaining to our police officers nor did you address the Select Board Chair’s above discussed failures. This means one of the below possibilities exist in regard to you. Any of one of which is a failure.
- You agree with Vanessa Alvarado’s refusal to timely address the Reading Police Chief selection;
- You do not possess the ability to have recognized the perils of Vanessa Alvarado’s refusal to timely address the Reading Police Chief Selection or;
- You recognize and oppose Vanessa Alvarado’s above discussed failures but do not have the courage to publicly address them.
John Halsey and Anne Landry – The two of you are courageous and admirable for the manner in which you conducted yourselves in regard to the above discussed matter. Thank you!
Regards,
Mike Monahan
Reading Massachusetts
