Wiscasset Town Manager Arthur Faucher confirmed he would be attending a disciplinary hearing on Dec. 14, but could not comment on the issue.
“The matter is to be an executive nature,” he said Thursday morning.
Printed minutes from the Nov. 30 Board of Selectmen meeting states the board entered into an executive session, lasting 23 minutes, to discuss the evaluation of a municipal employee. Faucher and town attorney Ervin Snyder were present at the meeting.
The minutes also show board members scheduled a disciplinary hearing with Faucher, who has been advised of his rights.
Snyder confirmed that the attorney representing Faucher is Nicole Lorenzette from Portland law firm Smith and Elliot.
The addendum to Faucher’s employment contract as Town Manager for the town of Wiscasset indicates his contract was extended in April 2009.
Faucher would not comment directly on the hearing, but pointed out that he did not take advantage of certain fringe benefits allowed to him as a town employee and manager.
Town employees are given an annual family membership to the Wiscasset Community Center, which costs $390. Faucher said he has been with the town for three years and never took advantage of the center’s membership.
“There’s frosting on the cake and I didn’t eat it,” he said.
Faucher said he also did not attend certain annual conventions and meetings, saving the town a few thousand dollars. Attendance at the International City Managers Association International Convention mentioned in the addendum notes a cost not to exceed $1500. Faucher said the same cost could have been attributed to attend the Maine Town and City Managers annual meeting, which he also did not participate in.
Faucher said he went to the Maine Municipal Association annual convention for one day each in 2008 and this year, the cost of which he estimated was roughly $75 each time.
Faucher said he works an average of 52 hours each week, the time of which is documented at the town office. He said he also works weekends. Paperwork shows he worked on Nov. 22 for six hours.
The recent history shows there have been four town managers for Wiscasset in the past eight years. In 2001, selectmen planned to hire a town manager and add two new members to their three-member board. In 2002, David Kinney served as town manager after current County Administrator John O’Connell served as interim manager.
Andrew Gilmore became town manager in 2003 and served Wiscasset until Dec. 2006, followed by Faucher in 2007.
