Oops, we did it again

On Monday night the Board had still more appointments to make, this time for the Bikeways Committee and the Historic Districts Commission.

Some folks might be surprised to learn that I actually review the applications and call the references. Even if there is but one applicant for one vacancy, as was the case with Mr. Gura and the Bikeways Committee, I still check the references. After all, just because someone applies and there's a vacancy doesn't mean they automatically get the job.

The references are very important. They provide a hiring manager - such as the selectmen - with a picture of who this person is and how they work with others. For example, I learned from one of Mr. Staak's references that he restored an historic home, meticulously refurbishing every last detail. Mr. Gura's references were as enthusiastic about him as he seems to be about the community. Unfortunately, Mr. Haddad listed only one reference, and didn't even include contact information for that person.

How could I appoint someone if I have no picture of whom this person is? So I didn't.

Selectman Carey Murphy voted for Mr. Haddad based on the fact that he had served as an alternate. Following this logic, all you need to do is serve your time as an alternate and you will eventually and automatically become a full member of the commission/board/committee. This makes the appointment sound like an entitlement, reducing the selectmen's role from oversight and review to a simple rubber stamp; Chatham selectman Sean Summers alluded to this in a recent letter to the Cape Cod Times.

A better way to make appointments is to do a thorough interview and check references. However, it's pretty obvious that a majority of the Board did not do this Monday night. How could they? Mr. Haddad's application was incomplete. Unfortunately, this was not the first time this has happened.

Kudos, by the way, to Selectman Kevin Murphy, who voted for Mr. Staak.