Environmental Commission chair says she is 'bullied'

VERNON — The Vernon Environmental Commission may have been resurrected, but it's not been smooth sailing for the reborn body.
New Environmental Commission Chair Sally Rinker on Monday told the council she has been the target of bullying since her appointment in July. Rinker also said she has observed behavior from the Environmental Commission's members and recording secretary that is “detrimental to the proper functioning” of that body.
Rinker said she has been subject to micro-aggressions from other members of the commission in the form of targeted audio and video recording of her at meetings and an offensive cartoon bearing her image.
While she acknowledged that recording of meetings is permitted under the law, Rinker said it “takes on a new meaning” when it is the first instance of a meeting being recorded and the event is “hyped” by commission members on social media.
Additionally, Rinker said the cartoon in question was posted to the Inside Vernon website, which is run by Environmental Commission recording secretary Jessi Paladini. Rinker said she spoke to Paladini to ask her to remove the image as well as accompanying text that includes “false statements,” but was unsuccessful in getting the cartoon or text removed.
Rinker also accused Paladini of attempting a “hostile takeover” of the Environmental Commission by creating her own meeting agendas, attempting to hold a meeting Rinker canceled and exhibiting “blatant disrespect” for the record by intentionally omitting certain public comments from the minutes.
Rinker called for Paladini, along with Commissioner Beverly Budz and alternate commissioner Ed Nitch, to resign or be removed for cause by the Council.
Councilwoman Jean Murphy said the Environmental Commission serves an administrative function. The council makes no decisions on the Environmental Commission, Murphy said.
Paladini was not at Monday's meeting, but when reached for comment on Tuesday said Rinker's allegations were “outrageously false.” It is Rinker who is obstructing the proper function of the Environmental Commission and overstepping her bounds, Paladini said.
Paladini said in her five years as secretary of the commission, meeting agendas have historically been submitted to the township's administrative assistant by 3 p.m. on the Friday in advance of an upcoming meeting so the group can provide adequate 48-hour notice as required.
According to Paladini, Rinker has now twice failed to pass along approved meeting agendas by this deadline. The first time, Rinker submitted a finalized agenda to the township herself after hours to have it posted within the required 48-hour period. The second time Rinker failed to forward her an approved agenda.
Earlier this month, Paladini said she compiled the document on her own based on items that were unanimously agreed upon by the commission at its August meeting and submitted that in order to make the deadline.
Paladini said the agenda was submitted before Rinker announced her intention to cancel the meeting.
“I had a dilemma here because for the second month in a row she failed to do what she's suppose to do,” Paladini said. “All I did was carry forth the wishes the commission themselves agreed upon by unanimous vote...I did nothing wrong, I carried out my duty as secretary.”
As for canceling the meeting, Paladini said Rinker doesn't have the authority to do that if a quorum is met. Paladini said she sent a request to members of the commission as usual asking who would be able to attend the Sept. 13 meeting and received positive responses from seven of the nine commission members. Paladini said in the absence of Rinker, who sought to cancel the meeting to attend a back-to-school night event, the commission's vice chair is permitted to preside at meetings.
Though Rinker said Monday she had officially canceled Tuesday's Environmental Commission meeting, Paladini said a quorum of commission members met on Tuesday at the municipal building. Paladini said commission members were prohibited from entering the building, so the meeting took place on benches outside.
Paladini also said Rinker's allegations about her omission of certain items from the commission's meeting minutes are false.
“The minutes of a public body are meant to reflect actions taken, they are not verbatim transcripts of everything everyone says,” Paladini said.
As to the political cartoon on the Inside Vernon website, Paladini said she wasn't the one who posted it and in any case Rinker has no right to censor another citizen's right to free speech.
According to Paladini, Rinker's comments at Monday night's meeting violated her right to receive a RICE notice, which is required to be issued to township employees and volunteers before government entities can discuss personnel issues such as performance or termination. The notice gives the affected party the right to decide whether their case will be heard in public or in private.
Paladini said she plans to contact the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and regulatory bodies over the incident and has already alerted the council, mayor and township attorney of her intent to do so.