Board seeks to oust pair

Norfolk selectmen are searching for new applicants to fill two seats on the Conservation Commission, signaling they intend to snub members who are seeking reappointment.

Selectmen Jim Lehan and Ramesh Advani said the conservation board has not shown a willingness to work with other town boards.

Jay Talerman, the conservation board chairman, unsuccessfully ran for Lehan's selectman's seat in May. He said he thinks the apparent decision not to reappoint him was based on "politics and bruised egos."

"They can deny until they're blue in the face that this is political," Talerman said. "I don't think there's anyone in the town of Norfolk who believes this is anything but political payback."

Lehan said his lack of support for Talerman and fellow conservation board member Laurence Harrington was "absolutely not" personal. He said he wanted to ensure the conservation board operates fairly and in the town's interests.

"It cannot be about individual agendas," Lehan said. "It has to be about the best interests of the town."

Selectmen interviewed candidates for the board on June 18 but said they needed more time to make their decision. They met again Monday and decided to leave the spots open. They'll take applications until July 18 and will appoint the new members July 23 . Selectmen chairman Jonathan Smith, the third member of the board, didn't say whether he would support Harrington or Talerman.

Selectmen said they based their decision in part on a dispute between the conservation board and the town's Recreation Commission. The Conservation Commission denied the recreation board's request to use chemicals to kill weeds at the Town Pond off Main Street. The recreation board appealed to the state, which ruled in favor of the conservation board because that board is the legal custodian of the pond.

Selectmen said the conservation board, which is in charge of enforcing state wetlands protection bylaws, based its denial on a technicality and didn't try to work collaboratively with the recreation board.

"If this is how you treat another department, how would you treat applicants" who come before the board, Advani asked.

Talerman said that, in his two years on the commission, it has never turned down homeowners' requests to improve their property. Also, he said the board simply wanted the Recreation Department to seek alternatives to using chemicals in the pond.

"I think the record demonstrates clearly that we have acted fairly, and the selectmen are unfairly taking sides on an issue I don't think they understand," Talerman said.

Advani said it was Talerman who was still in a political mode, noting that Talerman's supporters had contacted him and urged him to consider reappointing the chairman.

"For Jay, it seems as if the election is not over yet," Advani said.

While Lehan insisted his position wasn't based on politics, he couldn't be sure how residents would perceive it. "I can't control that," Lehan said.